Treading on Thin Ice
by NocturnalCreature998
Summary: She's nothing but a simple girl. Probably the most bipolar girl in the world but that's about it. What happens when she finds herself far away, in Japan, surrounded by ridiculously attractive and interesting ice skaters? And what's the deal with this equally bipolar Russian Fairy? Yuri x OC, strongly hinted Viktuuri.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to the ice skating hell, everyone!**

 **Being an obsessed fangirl I decided to write YOI fanfic (even though I already have enough on my plate) because why not? I got a lot of ideas and thought that it would be fun.**

 **Everyone seems to be crazy about Vikturi. I'm no exception. But there are THREE main characters and a lot of people are leaving my precious grumpy kitten behind. That's another reason why I started to write this fic.**

 **I'm an amateur and novice writer. Also, English is my secondary language so I would like to apologise for any spelling or grammar mistakes in advance.**

 **Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing but my OC.**

* * *

Free spirit. That's what I was and that's why I was standing here, on this street, in this country, Japan. An entire summer had passed since my graduation from high school, or gymnasium, if you want to be precise. Adulthood and all its responsibilities fell on me like an avalanche or a tidal wave and soon enough I had found myself drowning. It was time to continue studying in college or university. But I realised one thing - I have no future plan. No idea what I wanted to do with my life, what occupation or specialty I could use to make for a living.

So imagine a surprise on my parents' face when I announced my plans to go to The Country of Rising Sun and search for myself. It was something I made up on a whim, something, that was brought up by fangirl otaku side and strange fascination with Japanese culture, sparked by Geography classes that I had to attend since sixth or seventh grade. This idea was, most likely, doomed to fail epically, but my homecountry was always too small for me to unfold my wings fully. That's why it didn't took my parents long to deal with my newest ambition and help me to find a temporary but well-paid job. An autumn and a good part of winter went by working and saving money for a trip. Before I knew it, my belongings were packed and I was kissing my parents goodbye. Only a few tears were shed that day - they knew that sooner or later I will fly away.

Being from a small country in Eastern Europe, Lithuania, coming all the way here to Japan was without a doubt the biggest challenge in my life. Time difference, cultural shock and language barrier were the Big Three I dreaded the most. Luckily, I was more or less fluent in English and though my destination was relatively a small town, Hasetsu in Kyushu region, I could see signs in both Japanese and English. I figured it would be best to start slow before exploring Tokyo City - my ultimate goal. At first I was more like 'Go big or go home' but now... Let's say, my rational side took over, and just in time, because a sprawling monstrocity like Tokyo would have chewed and swollowed me up in no time. Not to mention, that after looking up Hasetsu on the Internet, I learned that it was very beautiful this time of a year...

A loud sigh escaped my lips. For someone who easily gets helplessly lost in a bigger mall, I was doing fairly well. I could read a map and ask locals if needed. Currently, I was walking around and looking for a place called Yu-topia, an inn of some sorts, famous for its hot springs and delicious homecooked meals. It was also one of a cheapest places around - a fact, that easily earned a plus in my book.

A tiring flight from Lithuania to Japan and hours of aimless wandering around did a number on my body and I leaned against a railing of some random bridge to rest a bit. It was empty except for a man who was peacefully fishing. Although it was still winter, the weather was surprisingly warm and I smiled slightly. It reminded me of last two winters back home when we only got a little bit of snow during Christmas and New Year, flowers blooming fully in February.

I took another look at a map, trying to memorise a way to an inn. I knew it was pointless due to my terrible sense of direction and uncollaborative memory but hope is a mother of all fools and that's why she's the last one to die.

"So, all I need to do is to go straight and then turn left?" I muttered to myself folding a map. "Sounds easy enough."

Passing local stores and other buildings I noticed a lot of posters of some black haired guy, doing a dramatic pose and being photoshoped between sakura trees. It was written in Japanese so I never bothered to stop by and take a closer look, but the amount of posters I saw while making my way through a town begged to differ. Apparently he was an ice skater and probably big news, because a lot of people would point at it and say something in Japanese, glowing with pride.

I shrugged a bit and continued walking. A few minutes later I reached tradicionally looking inn and mentally patted myself on a shoulder. Based on what I saw in Google Images this seems like a right place. Putting on a polite and warm smile to mask my nerves I took a step inside and looked around.

"Hello? Excuse me?" I called out praying that people working here would understand me.

"Yes, dear? " An elder woman with short hair and motherly smile greeted me warmly and I sighed in relief.

After renting a room and making a pleasant small talk with a woman, who is also the owner of this place, I made my way to a room that will be my living place for a time being. I wasn't sure just how long I will stay here but finding my own even temporar place would be cheaper than staying here.

Feeling too tired to think and plan my accommodations any further, I dropped my luggage on a floor. It was about 2pm and I had a few hours before dinner. After kicking off my shoes and taking off my leather jacket, I made myself comfortable on a bed and closed my eyes, finally letting myself to relax.

Five minutes in and I was out like a light.

* * *

 **It's short, I know, but this chapter serves as a prologue and introduction of some sorts, so I thought it unnecessary to make it very long. OC will meet one of the main characters in the next chapter. Guess who?:)**

 **But I'll try to write longer chapters and update them faster.**

 **The info I gave you about my OC is vague, but I don't like when we get to know every single little detail about character in a first pages. It really kills all the intrigue.**

 **Please leave a review so I could know what parts I did right and what should I do differently.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello!**

 **Thanks for all the views, you're amazing.**

 **This chapter came early but the others might take a bit longer to write. Even so, I'm planning to update every 2-3 days. Depends of a word count and my killer schedule.**

 **Anyway, there's Chapter 2! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OC.**

* * *

My eyes slowly fluttered open and a little yawn escaped my lips. For a moment I felt lost in my new surroundings but a moment later, when the last traces of sleep were slowly making their way out, a realisation hit me. I was napping in a room I rented for my stay here. A time difference only added to my confusion but I shook my head to wake up and after swinging my legs over a side of bed I stood up. I slept two hours at best but it was enough for me to feel better.

Knowing that I still have about an hour before dinner, I decided to clean up. After taking out of my suitcase all necessities I headed straight to a bathroom, attached to my bedroom. A nice hot shower easer my tensed muscles and instantly lifted my mood. After brushing my teeth and drying my hair, I returned to a bedroom and started digging in my luggage for something comfortable but nice to wear. Ten fruitless minutes later, I decided to stick to my casual outfit - skinny light blue jeans, black tank top and light grey cardigan that reached my mid-thighs. Usually I would accompany it with black leather combat boots, but since I was indoors, I opted for simple black sneakers. A few finishing touches, such as leather bracelets and silver ring on a finger, and I was ready to explore this place. I decided to leave my long light brown hair fall down my back - I'll do something about them later.

As I was exiting a room, I bumped into a young woman with short green hair and red outfit that reminded me of a bathrobe but I knew it was somewhat traditional clothes. She had the same brown eyes as the owner of an inn and smelled of cigarette smokes.

"You're the new guest, right?"

I only nodded slightly and smiled in response.

"My name is Mari and I'm a daughter of the owners. My mother told me to give you this." Young woman, Mari, held out a pamplet and I took it gingerly.

"Thank you." I bowed politely and waved towards the hall and main room with reception desk. "I'll be in a main room if you need me."

A nod I received from Mari was all I needed to give a quick smile and continue walking towards my destination. Interior was warm and cosy, it reminded me of a countryside house my parents own. This little similarity brought a soft smile to my face - it was nice to find something familiar so far away from home.

As I entered reception room I was greeted by a commotion. I took a shy peak inside and saw four people having a livid conversation. I recognised the owner lady but the others were unfamiliar. Two of them were male, short man over forties with glasses (who was currently killing himself with laughter and looked a lot like owner lady) and young man with typical black hair and warm brown eyes. He was slightly over twenty and wore glasses also. The only unfamiliar female was a pretty woman with long brown hair and athletic frame. They were speaking in Japanese so I had no idea what it was all about but a young male looked a bit familiar. I wanted to dismiss seemingly ridiculous idea but a poster I saw while getting here flashed in my mind.

Could it be?

Curiosity battled my shyness but lost. I was about to turn on my heel and retreat when a shout stopped me.

"Oh, you're that foreign girl, aren't you? I hope everything is to your liking?"

Since it was said in English and I was the only foreigner in a room it was clearly addressed to me. I turned to face them and smiled awkwardly.

"Ah, um, yes. The room is amazing, I can't think of anything better."

Oblivious to my discomfort, lady owner smiled warmly and showed me to come closer. I wasn't sure what for but decided to comply. Situation couldn't possibly get any more awkward so what's the risk?

I walked slowly towards people and offered them semi-genuine but polite smile, waiting to be introduced.

"Dear, this is my son, Yuuri Katsuki and our good friend, Minako Okukawa. She's a ballet teacher." Owner lady, whose name was appareantly Hiroko, pointed at a young man and woman respectively. Despite the obvious pride in Hiroko's voice, neither of the names she just said rung a bell. But now, that I got to see dark haired male up close, he really reminded me the guy from that poster. "And this is my husband, Toshiya."

I kept smiling despite feeling more and more awkward with every passing second. "It's nice to meet you. My name is Sofija*. I'm a new guest." Remembering what I learned from anime and movies I bowed stiffly and heard chuckling. My cheeks flushed red. Way to go, Soph**. Way to go.

"It's nice to meet you too." Even though accented, soft and friendly words made me raise my head. Big brown eyes stared at me from behind glasses and my nerviousness slowly melted. My body relaxed and I let out relieved sigh.

"Sorry about that. I tend to get shy around new people." I giggled a bit and smiled. Than I remembered something. "It may sound strange but you seem familiar."

Immediately, Yuuri blushed. "Oh, you probably saw me on a posters that Minako-sensei hung all around in the town." He scratched his head in embarassment and I nodded, satisfied with my still somewhat sharp eye. Even though Yuuri confirmed being a person on the infamious posters, I couldn't help but mentally compare what I saw and what was standing in front of me.

'Poster Yuuri' looked confident and wore a natural, genuine smile on his face. It was clear that he enjoyed what he was doing and that his preferred sport gave him a lot of joy. This Yuuri looked like a typical self-conscious introvert who like to spend his days laying in bed, with snacks and Netflix keeping company. Cute and nerdy, with a sweet, innocent and pure outlook. He reminded me a bit of, well, myself.

I think I was staring at him for too long because a red color on his face got even darker. Yuuri cleared his throat and I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Yeah, you're right. But I'm not into ice skating that much so that's about it. Sorry."

"No, that's alright!" Yuuri seemed to lighten up at my lack of knowledge on the topic. It's like he's relieved that I don't know him. I wonder what's that about?

"How about we continue this conversation while having dinner?" Suggested Hiroko and a round of agreement followed.

"Could we get your signature pork cutlet bowls?" Minako chirped cheerfully and then turned to look at me. "You must try it! It's delicious!"

"Sure. I always wanted to try out Japanese cuisine. There's one problem though. I haven't mastered the art of eating with chopsticks yet." I lowered my head in shame but she only laughed.

"It's okay. I'll just tell Toshiya to serve you with Western tableware."

"Oh, that's a relief!" I exclaimed happily and placed one hand on my chest, to emphazise my point. "I think I already made a fool of myself enough times for one day. And I don't really feel like trying to break the world record."

I grimaced and Minako laughed. It was contageous because soon enough I joined her. Our laughing gained Yuuri's attention and I saw him smiling warmly at us.

That was the moment when I realised, what an enjoyable my stay here will be.

* * *

 **Wow. Sorry for a lame ending. A poor excuse, I know, but it's heard to write a good cliffhanger-like ending when there's nothing going on. But it's just a beginning and I'm sure that it will get better.**

 ***'Sofija' is a Lithuanian version of Sophia. I purposely chose a name that would be popular and usual in Lithuania but would have its Western counterpart.**

 ****From now on I'm going to use Western form of both name and nickname, except when someone from Lithuania talks with her (for future references). Personally, I find it more comfortable.**

 **Please, leave a review! I really helps me to get this story right and also, if you'll find any mistakes, please inform me so I could correct it.**

 **That's all for today. See you in the next chapter!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey hey hey!**

 **Guess who woke up at 6am this morning to watch the new episode and was internally screaming for five hours straight? That's right.**

 **And, man, was that worth it.**

 **While I'm still riding this rollercoster of emotions, enjoy the new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: Nope, I only own Sophia.**

* * *

A heavenly scent reached my nostrils and I sat up a bit straighter. Food was my one true love and we're happy together. Apparently, genethics shipped us too, because much like my mom, I could eat anything I want nonstop and still be thin to the point, were people think I'm anorexic. That's one of a few good things about my body.

"Tell us something about yourself." Yuuri's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I glanced at him thoughtfully.

"What do you want to know?"

"For starters, where are you from?" Asked Minako, her brown eyes sparkling curiously.

"I'm from Lithuania." I mentally prepared myself for their reactions.

"Lithuania? Never heard of this country before." Yuuri tapped his chin, trying to place the name to a place before turning at me, realising his mistake. "S-Sorry. Didn't mean to offend you."

"You didn't." I waved my hand dismissively. Like I didn't see it coming. "It's a small country, one of the Baltic Trio. Not many people outside of Europe knows it. Except for maybe APH fans." I smiled slightly before continuing. "I'm from a small town in southern parts of Lithuania. Too small for me to settle down and live there. That's why I'm here in the first place. Also, I'm too open-minded for my hometown. Locals are very judgmental because all young people are emigrating away to chase their dreams and look for better opportunities, leaving behind the old generation who can't let go of the 'old ways'. They are way too conservative for my liking."

"And how do you like Japan so far?"

"Well, I just got here this morning so it's too early to tell. But it's different and I love it." I saw Yuuri open his mouth to ask something but he got interrupted when our food arrived. As if on cue, my stomach decided to demonstrate a perfect imitation of whale mating call and I smiled sheepishly. Everyone laughed at my cherry red face before digging in.

* * *

A small sigh found its way through my lips, my eyes skimming over the all too familiar sentences. I read the same book for the umpteenth time, feeling sharp nails of frustration clawing out at my insides. It's been a year since I bought in on eBay but all the emotions swirling inside of me were still raging, very much alive. I was expecting that the authoress would write final instalment of this blasted trilogy and free me from this limbo of emotions but no such luck. A year passed and the last chapter still makes no sense.

I threw paperback novel aside and watched as it landed on the bed with a dull thrud. Frustration and anger took a slow step back, making room for the overwhelming sense of boredom. On a good day I could pace my room while listening to a new-found favorite songs until I get sick of them or look up Duel Masters cards on Google Images and try to redraw pictures on it. But then there were _these_ kind of days, when I would drive my mom insane, asking her what to do over and over again, only to reject all suggestions she offered to get me lost, which annoyed her even further. Aimlessly wandering around, picking up random objects and then put them back in their places. And today was one of those days.

I buried my face in a pillow and let out a loud groan. I spent the last few years coped up in my room so my inability to entertain myself was rarely a problem or at least it never lasted long enough to become one. But now, that I was here, in a country where I knew nothing, not even language, my pathetic helplessness became glaringly obvious.

I lifted myself of the bed and made my way out, moving like a zombie. Maybe I could grab a map and do a little exploring? It would be a perfect opportunity to snap a few photos and send them to my parents just to show how well I'm managing to survive on my own. But I feel too lazy for that...

Struggling to solve this dilemma I made my way towards reception room only to see Yuuri heading out somewhere. He wore his work out clothes and only now had I noticed a layer of fat around his torso. My eyebrows shot up in surprise and puzzlement. I thought ice skaters were supposed to be thin?

Apparently, the entry I made was not as soundless as I thought because Yuuri snapped his head towards my direction, his chocolade brown eyes meeting my carribean blue ones.

"Ah, it's you, Sophia." He gave me slightly nervious but still genuine smile.

"Were you expecting someone else?" I asked him teasingly as I made my way towards busted boy and saw barely visible pink color dusting his chubby cheeks.

"N-No, you just surprised me." Yuuri looked at me closely, taking in my bored sluggish state. "I'm going to Hasetsu Ice Castle. Want to come with me?"

My eyes lit up at his words and I squealed with delight.

"Thanks, Yuuri! You just saved my sanity." I run to my room, put on my leather jacket and grabbed my phone. Less than two minutes later I stood in front of wide-eyed Yuuri, grinning like a madman. "Let's go!"

* * *

Being from small town that doesn't even have cinema, the building in front of me looked grand. Keeping in mind Yuuri's occupation and name of this place, I figured that we must be outside of an ice rink. I had been on the ice a few times before but only one of them had been in an actual rink of a mall we went after a field trip. I spent a few times skating on a frozen lake in a countryside but instead of figure skates, I used the one of an ice hockey. There was a time when I wanted to become a professional skater but due to the lack of possibilities (the closest city that offered practice sessions was about 250 kilometers away) and poor physical capabilities this ambition was short-lived. A heart condition I inherited from my dad forced me to automatically reject all sport-related activities, except for, maybe, badminthon or chess.

Fingers snapped in front of my face and I realised, I was standing rooted to one place, staring blankly at nothing, deep in my thoughts for the last few minutes.

"Are you okay?" Concerned face of Japanese skater greeted me after returning from my little trip down the memory lane and I shook my head to fully free myself from daze.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm okay." I shifted my gaze to the entrance, trying to clear my thoughts and change the topic. "Shall we go?"

Not fully convinced by my response, Yuuri kept searching my face for any sign of deceit. I stared at him blankly, trying to win an Oscar for the best poker face ever and saw him relenting hesitantly. With a slight nod, Yuuri run up the stairs and opened the door, holding it for me to enter.

"Thank you." I smiled softly while passing by, manners etched into my very being. My parents made sure, that every little thing others might do for me will be accomponied by 'magic words'. Believe it or not, but a lot of people found it annoying, saying that I'm too polite for my own good. Is that even possible?

I walked inside, following Yuuri closely behind. Spacious and airy room looked exactly like I imagined it to be, with light colouring and minimal amount of furniture. However, Yuuri didn't stop and went straight through the door on a left. I trailed behind, taking in metal lockers and deep blue benches, until we walked through another doors and I saw girly looking young woman with nice brown hair and round magenda eyes, standing behind reception desk. Rows of hangers with white and black ice skates lined up behind her back. Noticing our presence, woman looked our direction curiously before putting on a polite but friendly smile.

"Can I help you?"

"It's been awhile, Yuko-san."

I glanced at a fond expression on Yuuri's face and an understanding dawned on me. Just like in any other close community, people here know each other since the early days.

"Yuuri-kun?" A woman, Yuko, called out, sounding shocked beyond belief. Then her eyes drifted towards me and I waved awkwardly while Yuuri just nodded.

"Come on, call me Yu-chan! You came here to skate alone for now, right?" She smiled cheerily before turning to look at me. "I've never seen you before. Are you Yuuri-kun's girlfriend?"

I shook my head, amused, and from the corner of my eye saw Yuuri blush in embarassment. "No, no. I just came to Japan and am currently staying in Yu-topia. My name is Sophia."

"It's nice to meet you, Sophie-chan! I'm Yuko, but call be Yu-chan!" A brunette bundle of energy introduced herself cheerfully before grabbing a pair of black skates from behind her and offering them to Yuuri. "Go on."

It took a split second for a guy to process everything but when he did, his brown eyes widened in surprise.

"Huh? Can I?"

"Of course! And don't worry. I'll protect you!" Appearently, these words were all it took for Yuuri to overcome his hesitations because he gingerly took skates from Yuko's hands and disappeared in a locker room to put them on.

"So, Sophie-chan?" I heard Yuko calling out to me and my eyes snapped to meet her innocent magenda ones. "Do you skate too?"

I wish.

"No, I just caught Yuuri sneaking out and decided to tag along." I shrugged my shoulders before smiling slightly. "The ice is like a death trap that was designed specifically to threaten my non-existent otaku life."

Yuko laughed at my drama queen antics and I felt relief laced with suspicion coursing through my body. Another friend made during the last twenty-four hours? Things are going too smoothly.

Before my good mood could get replaced by anti-social and insecure paranoia, Yuuri showed up, his jacket off and skates with protections on. I gladly reverted my eyes and focused all my attention on a boy, who looked surprisingly calm and even collected. It's like having skates on his feet magically turned shy nerdy but adorable boy into attractive and even swoon-worthy man. My mind once again flashed to an infamous poster and a piece of puzzle fell in its place.

Yuuri paid no mind to me or my inner debates. He walked towards glass door that I hadn't noticed before and entered what appeared to be an ice rink. I faithfully followed his lead, suddenly intrigued by what without a doubt was going to happen.

As if in some sort of trance, Yuuri took off protections from the blades of his skates and after putting them on a table that stood nearby rails, stepped on the ice. I leaned on a wall that surrounded the rink and curiously watched his every move, still stuck by his sudden transformation. I felt Yuko take place beside me and glanced at her as Yuuri skated towards us and placed his glasses on an outstretched Yuko's palm.

"I wanted you to see this, Yu-chan. So I've been practicing it since the competitions ended. Please watch." He returned to the middle of the rink and made a pose. A music started and I focused on a figure in front of me.

What I saw next made probably the biggest impact on my life and I knew, I knew that after that day, my life will change dramatically.

And, boy, was I right.

* * *

 **I've been working to redeem myself for the last terrible ending and something tells me, I went overboard. Now my ending evolved from lame to melodramatic. *Sighs***

 **My spirits are high right now and I'm hyped beyond belief. That's why, being a good YOI trash I am, I'm going to crawl into a nearest trash can and kill time until next Wednesday by letting out incoherent noises and planning out my flower girl outfit.**

 **Please, leave a review! I'm very low on self-confidence and if that's not enough, when it comes to my fanfics, I become paranoid too. Think of it as a cherry on top.**

 **No, but seriously, guys. I love all the views I received and I appreciate all the constructive criticism so feel free to comment on my story and point out my mistakes so I could fix them.**

 **Oh! And if any of you are interested, the book that Sophia was reading is 'Angelopolis' by Danielle Trussoni.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**How's it going folks? I hope you had an amazing weekend, because I certainly didn't.**

 **Sorry for delay. I wasn't feeling well these past few days but now I'm okay and back in a game.**

 **Woah, unintentional rhyming. Maybe I should lay down...**

 **To be honest, I worked my behind (gotta keep it censored) off writing this chapter. Since I already reached anime, I'm trying to keep all events and conversations that have nothing to do with my OC directly more or less the same.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my OC.**

* * *

The last chords of beautiful aria still echoed of white walls, perfectly in synch with my palpitating and pounding heart. Then, a spacious rink was suddenly plunged into an eerie silence. My skin was covered in goosebumps and I lost a count of how many chills ran down my spine that evening. But it had nothing to do with crisp and chilly air that surrounded us and surged into my lungs. No, it was the same feeling I experienced while listening 'March of the Lions' for the first time or singing carols in church's choir during Christmas. Having your cat massaging your arm, purring loudly, feeling nothing but pure and untainted love for its owner.

I heard a sharp intake of air somewhere by my side, then-

"That was super cool! A perfect copy of Viktor! What do you think, Sophie?"

Loud voice, closely followed by a pair of palms banging rail in uncontained excitement snapped me out of a daze, making me blink owlishly and finally return back to reality.

"Huh?"

"Yuuri executed Viktor's program perfectly! Don't you think?" Round and sparkling magenda eyes bore into me, waiting for confirmation but all I could do was stare at young woman in utter confusion and puzzlement.

"I'm sorry, who?"

Prominent gasps escaped both Yuuri and Yuko's lips and I cringed at my own mistake. I shouldn't have said that.

"Viktor Nikiforov, of course!" Yuuri exclaimed, his words dripping with disbelief at my obliviousness. He stared at me as if asking 'have you been living under a rock for a past decade?' Not exactly, but close enough.

"Ahhh" I let out a little sound of acknowledgment before shaking my head. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"Are you serious?" Yuko mirrored her friend's stare impeccably and I got a sudden urge to roll my eyes. Do they really think I'm just messing around?

"Yep. Never heard of him." I turned around and leaned against rail with my back as Yuuri stepped of the ice and put protectors on his blades. "So, this Viktor guy... Is he any good?"

Two faces, black with mortification made me want to crawl in a deep and dark pit and live there for the rest of my days. For some reason I suddenly felt bad for not keeping up with them. Then I got mad at myself for feeling bad in a first place. Luckily, Yuuri spoke up, effectively breaking a train of my thoughts.

"Is he any good?! Viktor is beyond good, he's amazing! He also has five consecutive wins in World Grand Prix Championship!" A bright fire of admiration in Yuuri's chocolade brown eyes reminded me of the way I used to watch my best friend practicing in studio near my house for the next Nationals. Only my gaze kept equal parts of pride and envy in it. Pride, because I got to see one of the most potential young dancers make progress while being under my supervision and envy, because one visit at hospital was all it took to put an end to my carrier. I felt a smile tugging at a corners of my lips.

"Sorry for not keeping a track on your celebrity crushes. But you got to cut me some slack here; I can't even keep a track on my own ones." I smirked lightly, trying to defuse an awkward tension that threatened to suffocate me. Especially since I was the one who created it.

Yuko giggled slightly and I felt a great burden lifting itself of my shoulders. I saw Yuuri blush deep red and now it was my turn to laugh.

"So I was right! This Viktor person really is your celebrity crush!" I squeeled like a crazy fangirl I am before clapping his shoulder reasuringly. "But don't you worry, Yuuri! I totally support you!"

A deep blush adorning Japanese boy's round, baby-ish face got even darker and I doubled with laughter. Aww, what a pure and innocent ray of sunshine!

Apparently Yuko agreed with me wholeheartedly because she joined me in this little roasting session, only adding more to male's embarassment.

"H-He's not! I-I mean, I admire him, that's all!" Stammered Yuuri and covered his flaming cheeks with his palms. I decided to take a pity on poor guy and end this little entertainment before I could accidentally overstep the line and let my big insensitive mouth destroy yet another friendship.

"It's okay to have someone to admire and look up to, Yuuri." I tried my best comforting voice, accompanied by a smile that was full of understanding. Yuuri sensed a change in my tone and peaked through his fingers carefully. It was a bit too early to playfully haze and roast my newly made friend. Yuuri drew the same conclusion because his expression shifted to the one of relief and even gratitude. The last one took me aback but I decided to push it aside for another time.

"But seriously. I may not know much about ice skating, but one thing for sure - that was amazing." I continued as soon as I noticed young man's face returning to its usual color. It didn't took long for Yuko to pick up were I left off because she chirped up enthusiastically.

"She's right, Yuuri! Your performance just now was perfect! I seriously thought you will be depressed or something." Yuko took over conversation and I perked up involuntarily.

"I was." Skater nodded slightly and I focused all my attention on him. You can think of me whatever the hell you want, but life taught me how to observe people and right now I could sense a story behind Yuko's short comment and Yuuri's even shorter response. "But soon I got bored of being depressed. And then I thought... I just wanted to get my love for skating back."

My heart quivered after hearing these words. Part of me wanted to make an excuse and get out of here, because this conversation started to fell more and more like a confession. Despite my surprisingly good relationship with these foreigners I just met, I couldn't help but feel like a stranger, invading their intimate confessions. Being here and unintentionally listening to the two... It was like eavesdropping and I felt rotten inside, because curiousity was a bane of my egzistance and I'm weak. The fact that Yuuri's story sounded so relatable didn't help the matter at all.

"So I thought I could remember how it was when I copied Viktor with you, Yu-chan." Yuuri gave a small sad smile and my maternal instincts which I never even realised I had screamed at me to hug a poor boy. His expression, much like performance I got to witness just recently, tugged at my heartstrings and I found myself understanding Yuuri's feelings on a deep emotional level. Something came over me and without a second thought I grabbed his wrist, pulling skater into a tight hug.

Little did I know that we weren't the only visitors in an ice rink at such late hour. Three identical little girls grinned mischieviously as a phone in one chubby hand recorded everything.

* * *

 **And here we go. Finally picking up speed in the story. But I swore to myself not to rush relationships between characters and I intend to keep my word. A lot like 'there can be only one Yuri', there can also be only one person who can afford forgetting to keep important promises and I'm letting Viktor to have this position.**

 **Sorry. I'm just bitter about not being able to post this earlier.**

 **Speaking of Viktor, our dear skating Jesus should make an appearance soon. Wonder how Sophie is going to react to their blatantly gay actions?**

 **Oh, one more thing! THANK YOU for 400 views. You guys are amazing and I love every single one of you.**

 **Please leave a review! It really does help to boost my confidence and gives even more motivation than I already have.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guess who's back? Back again?**

 **Okay, I'll stop:D It's just that all the views I received since yesterday evening had left me feeling giddy.**

 **You know what? I realised that my previous chapter was unforgivably short. And since I had two free periods and double music today... Well, you caught the drift.**

 **The most important part, however, is that Episode 10 is getting released today and even though I'm one of the unfortunate souls who will have to wait until tomorrow, my excitement is too much for my poor heart to contain! It's just so full of rainbows~**

 **Now, everyone who read this author's note, please, look me in the eyes and tell me while keeping a straight face that my breakfast hadn't been contaminated with poisonous mushrooms because I'm starting to seriously doubt my sanity.**

 **Just kidding, I'm just a simple, mentally hilarious human being.**

 **Disclaimer: Oh hun, if that would be the case, Viktuuri wedding would be more than just a fan theory. Sophia, on the other hand...**

* * *

It's funny how quickly time flies by when you are enjoying yourself and my days only served to prove it. I asked Yuuri's parents to let me help out in Yu-topia. It took all my diplomatic skills to convince them, that I need to work, to do something because I have too much free time on my hands and I don't feel well sitting here like a pampered doll, doing nothing and drowning in my own depression and boredom. Luckily, I managed to become a part of a working staff but only after showing my hosts what a good maid, cook and dish washer I can be if needed. Instead of getting paid salary, I asked Hiroko to write off my bills for room and board.

March was coming to an end and I found myself debating whether to play a few pranks on Yuuri for April's Fool or not when I caught a glimpse of movement outside. I turned to look through the window and saw said man working out, jumping on one foot on a bench. A little smile bloomed on my face; it looks like at least one of us got that inner fire to do what we want back. Though it's not entirely true either. I never lost my passion for dancing. Only opportunity to take it to higher grounds. But Yuuri was a different case. He still had a hope to continue his ice skating carrier. Sure, later on I learned that there's more to it than what a bare eye can see. Apparently, Yuuri's little impersonification of his long-time idol *cough crush cough* got filmed by Yuko's triplet daughters and after posting it on YouTube, a video went viral. I only had accounts on Facebook and Tumblr so I heard everything from Minako, who was beyond furious about Yuuri unintentionally breaking the Internet. Personally I was more concerned about routine plagiating and copyright violations.

A change in skater's demeanor and behavior wasn't the only thing that brought a smile to my face. The atmoshere itself was affecting me too, and so far in a good way. I got a chance to talk to Minako more; a former professional dancer was easy and fun to hang out with, even though she had a slight addiction to alcohol. Yuuri's parents treated me like someone closer to a family than a guest - a thing that greatly surprised me, but warmed my heart at the same time too.

I kept in touch with my own parents too. We would Skype each other every week or two and exchange stories. I had sent them a good part of photos from my time wandering around Hasetsu with a small and purposely funny comments and captions, trying to mask a small pang of homesickness, that prickled at my heart no matter how much I enjoyed my life here.

That's how April came and though this month is supposed to mark a middle of springtime, but if living in Lithuania tought me anything, it's that weather usually has different agenda and that any attempts to predict its patterns were bound to go down the hole. But Japan would be different, right? The climate zone might be familiar, but it's another continent. So maybe that would change weather's unpredictable nature, right? Wrong! My good but naive hope had been permanently silenced the moment I saw huge and fluffy snowflakes swirling in the air gracefully before landing on still blooming sakura trees. A snow of soft pink petals that had been covering ground for the past few days suddenly turned into an actual _snow._

A frustated growl built up deep in my throat as I shoveled my way from the front door all the way to the street. It was around eight in the morning but I was awake and alert since about 5.30am. My body got adjusted to a time difference long time ago but I was an artistic person and the majority of my creativity and productivity span out of both insomnia and last minute's panic. Whether it be drawing, writing or creating short compositions for piano/guitar/violin.

"Sophia!" My red from nibbling cold ears caught a call, coming from behind my back. Turning around I saw Hiroko, beckoning me to come closer with a smile that after an hour of shovelling thick snow warmed me better than a mug of hot chocolade.

"Yes, what is it?" I rubbed my frozen nose with a back of gloved hand and made my way towards waiting woman.

"Go and wake Yuuri up. It's not fair for you to do all the manual labor while he sulks holed up in his room." Hiroko moved aside to let me step inside of well heated main room, were I took of my coat, gloves and knitted beanie. "Are you sure it's okay for me to just barge in Yuuri's private room?"

"Don't worry about it. And if Yuuri will try to say something, tell him that you were sent by me."

How could I say no after receiving a blessing like that?

I grabbed a handful of snow and quickly ran out before a cold substance could melt from my own warmth. Location of Yuuri's room was no secret to me but respecting ones privacy had been drilled into my skull from an early days and even though I spent the last three weeks living here, I was yet to set my foot inside.

After reaching my destination, I opened a simple plain door slightly, mentally thanking for well-oiled hinges and carefully peaked inside. My eyes immediately rested on a lone figure, sitting in a middle of a huge nest, made entirely out of bed sheets. His back was turned at me and I smirked trumphantly. Looks like gods of mischief are on my side and I'll get to play a little prank for April's Fool on Yuuri after all.

Feeling an ice cold liquid dripping down from between my fingers, I quickly formed a snowball out of what was left in my hands and took an aim. A smile on my face widened from the inner satisfaction that flooded my veins as I watched a deadly projectile flying over the room in an arc before hitting a spot precisely between skater's shoulder blades. Single pieces soaked through a thin material, making a contact with his skin. I prepared to cover my ears, knowing all to well what was going to happen, then-

"Sophia!" A strange high-pitched sound, something between a yelp, squeel and scream reached me and I hissed in pain, rubbing my ears and trying to regain my hearing.

"Good morning to you too." An annoying static disappeared and I smiled cheekily. "Your mom sent me here. She wants you to stop growing mushrooms in a closet and go help others shovel snow."

Yuuri stared at me blankly, not quite registering my words. "Snow?"

"That's right. I'd never seen sakura trees, covered in snow before. Gotta say, it really is a sight to see."

While Yuuri sat there, trying to process everything that was happening, I decided to entertain myself and take a closer look at his room. What I saw could only be described as a well-organised chaos and I smiled internally - same applies to me too. I was about to focus my attention on a pouting boy again when my gaze landed on something that made my eyes widen in shock. How in the name of whatever the heck you want I did not see it before?

"Woah." A little surprised gasp was all it took for a male to freeze completely in his tracks.

"So that's how your Wall of Sin looks like. Or, walls, more like."

Every available spot had been covered in posters, all of which showed a ridiculously attractive figure skater with silver grey hair and clear blue eyes. A few of them had a name on. _Viktor Nikiforov._

"That's the guy you're crushing on? No wonder you look so smitten every time someone brings him up. And with a good reason too; with a looks like that he could easily melt the ice he skates on." At this point I didn't even bothered to glance at Yuuri. I knew full well that his face should erupt in all possible shades of red right... about... now.

A horrible thought crossed my mind and I lifted my gaze up to look at the ceiling fearfully, all the while bracing myself for all the possible scenarios, only to breathe out in relief. No posters there.

"H-How a-about you leave me alone to get dressed and I'll meet you at the front door?" I could see Yuuri everything in his power to avoid making an eye contact with me and chuckled, amused.

"Sure thing, Yuuri." Closing the door behind me softly, I spun on my heel and returned back to the main room. After plopping myself on the floor beside a dinning table I stared at a TV screen absentmindedly. Weather forecast had already ended and I found myself watching an interview from some ice rink in Russia, where, apparently all their best skaters had their training sessions. Camera had just focused on a young guy with hella fine looking blond hair when I felt a light tap on my shoulder. Turning back I saw Yuuri, who was also watching program, his expression surprisingly intense and even bitter.

"Are you ready?" My words snapped him back to reality and he blinked before answering.

"Y-Yeah. Let's go."

Yuuri grabbed a shovel that I left after placing against the wall before sighing and opening the front door. Before any of use could react, a huge, cuddly looking brown dog leaped on a poor boy, bringing him down.

"Vicchan?" I heard Yuuri mutter, after dog licked his face and barked happily. "No... It can't be..."

"He looks exactly like Vicchan, no?" Came a voice from behind my back and I jumped in surprise only to see Toshiya, smilling down at Yuuri. "And he came with a really good-looking foreigner guest too."

I saw Yuuri's brown eyes widen in sudden realisation before getting off the floor and bolting out towards hot springs in a back of an inn, knocking over a table on his way and leaving me alone with mysterious dog.

* * *

 **So, what do you think? Did it met your expectations? Or maybe not?**

 **I know that a 'ceiling poster' part may have been... well... but before you could plot how to find and kill me, let me tell you this: Michele's comment about Yuuri being closet perv during Rostelecom Cup FS made me deceased. Think of this part as a tribute to that scene.**

 **Please, leave a review and let me guys know your opinion about my story.**

 **Now if you excuse me, I'll be squeeling my heart out at Episode 10 preview photos.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Long and slim fingers clutch someone's pale wrist, strength already leaving a nearly lifeless body, last words coming out in a short, hitched breaths before vacant, milky film falls over grey-blue eyes, heavy eyelids shuts close, head tilts to one side softly, signalling that another soul had just left this world.**

 **"I-I... own... nothing."**

 **The authoress had been silently removed to the morgue.**

* * *

A successful raid to the kitchen earned me an apple and some chicken leftovers to a poodle dog Makkachin - an adorable companion/friend/pet of a 'good-looking foreigner' who caused Yuuri to launch into an emotional overload. While Yuuri was trying (and failing) to process his greatest idol's reasons behind this more than unexpected visit, I was having fun just munching on my ripe and juicy loot and slowly but surely winning over Makkachin's affections with my secret ear-scratching and belly-rubbing technique. That's something I do every time I'm in contact with just about any dog or cat, especially during family meetings or at my friends places - you are more likely to see me cuddling with their pets than socializing with people. I'm bad at keeping a conversation but while spending time with animals no words are needed and every time someone's pet is giving me undivided attention, I just feel so... blessed.

I watched in satisfaction as Makkachin laid his head in my lap and fell asleep, my goal reached. Yuuri sat by my side and stared at silver haired man who was peacefully snoring in his slumber, looking positively star struck. So many memes flashed in my mind, memes, that would perfectly describe current situation and I was really tempted to use one, simply because I felt short on words, both English and even Lithuanian. Everything just felt so bizzare and out of blue, it made my rational side rip out hair in frustration because it doesn't make sense. This guy, Viktor Nikiforov, who is apparently a living legend of skating world left his fans and sport enthusiasts completely baffled when he publicly announced his so unsure and unstable plans for next season and dropped everything to come here. Because as Yuuri so kindly explained to me, Viktor got a hold on a video that became a sensation in skating world and decided to become Yuuri's coach. Randomly.

All I could say after Yuuri told me about his conversation with this Russian skater in a hot springs was ' _What?'_

Okay, so maybe I don't know full story or just don't get a full picture, but am I seriously the only one who thinks that something just doesn't add up? Viktor saw one goddamned video of Yuuri skating to one of his own routines and decided to just get on a first plane to Japan to tell Yuuri that from this day on he's going to be his coach? Like I said, random. I mean, from what I heard while living and working in Yu-topia, Viktor and Yuuri competed in Grand Prix championships for a few years and they would always end up in different ends of ranking chart, Viktor being first and Yuuri always coming up the last. Naturally, Viktor should have a grasp on what Yuuri's skating looks like, I mean, they used to skate on the same ice, for Heaven's sake! And now, one little video abrakadabra'ed Viktor here? Why? Is it because he saw someone else skate one of his gold-winning routines flawlessly and thought 'Wow, he managed to nail it - he must be some genius prodigy in disguise" or he came here because be finally got to see Yuuri skate a full program without failing to land his jumps or whatever it's called?

In any case, it drove my detective-obsessed mind crazy.

I felt it in my gut - there's more to this story than what meets the eye and I intend to figure it out as much as I can without invading one's privacy and breaching rules of morality.

I took another bite of an apple, a drop of juice trickling down my chin as a front door flew open with a bang and a familiar brown haired woman stormed inside, looking as flabbergast as I felt inside.

"Yuuri! Why aren't you answering your cell!" Minako's loud yell made me instinctively inch away from a boy in question and scan my surroundings for hideout in case this furious panther, clad in trench coat would throw herself at us. She looked positively vivid and all my self-defence instincts blare like an alarm system.

"What's wrong?" Hiroko, bless this woman, approached ballet teacher with a smile, completely unaware of possible danger, thus creating a perfect distraction in case I would be forced to pull out a bit of Houdini and hide myself in a safety of my rented room.

"Everything's wrong!" Minako screamed and I swear, I saw her eyes flash murderiously for a moment. "There's a rumor that Viktor's going to be Yuuri's coach!" Oh, hun, if only you knew... Whoever your trusted Gossip girl is, she (or he) really knows her(or his) stuff.

"Oh, Vicchan's here already!" Hiroko confirmed like it was nothing out of ordinary about this situation and I choked on my apple. Last time I checked, Vicchan was a poodle that Yuuri bought to get at least spiritually closer to his long-time idol and a miniature copy of a poodle that was happily snoring in my lap. But no, she was clearly referring to an ice skater, which was the main reason as of why a bite of apple suddenly stuck in my throat. It's a bit soon to use a nickname for a new guest - any guest, not only a celebrity of this caliber. And though I know what a naturally warm and friendly this woman is (I mean, look at the way she treated me) a familiar behavior like that seems a bit uncalled.

"What?" Either for the same or a bit different reasons as me, Minako gaped at an elder woman in surprise. Pointing to a male who caused such a ruckus with only his presence, Hiroko freed a poor dancer from any doubt she had. "Vicchan's sound asleep."

I glanced at other important element of this event only to see Yuuri staring at something with glazed eyes, denial written all over his face. I suppose I could cut him some slack at not paying attention to what's going on around him. It's not every day you get to see a person that fuelled your fire of motivation and inspiration for years in person, having a ninth dream **(A.N. Lithuanian idiom, meaning 'to sleep deeply, soundly and for quite some time already)** a couple of feet away. I certainly would be unreachable to everyone around me.

"Why is Viktor sleeping in one of the inn's robes?" Minako asked no one in particular, had already calmed down. I snorted silently to myself. Kinda redundant thing to ask, no? I think that better question would be why is he sleeping _on the floor?_

"He soaked in the hot spring and had dinner, then fell asleep..." Surprisingly, it was Yuuri who answered his sensei's question after finally snapping out of his fantasy world and focusing more on matters at hand.

Satisfied with his answer, Minako sighed and decided to put her two cents into solving this dilemma. Needless to say, I made sure to keep my ears open and mentally record every word that was about to come out of woman's mouth. "It's big news in Russia. He's taking next season off and is considering his next move. They're also saying that when he saw the video of you skating his routine, he was stuck with inspiration, and that's when he decided to be your coach." She blurted it all in a tone as if her words explained everything but I only pursed my lips in displeasure and disappointment. I figured this much already! It may be a big news to her but it was also old news to me.

"Huh?" Yuuri wasn't completely satisfied with this given answer and I crossed my fingers in hopes that they may continue creating conspiracy theories thus giving me an opportunity to listen in and, any cosmic forces are on my side for once, hear something that would actually shed some light on the matter. Unfortunately, I was too well-mannered and not cheeky enough to ask directly.

"Viktor came here because he chose you, Yuuri. You brought him here." Brown eyes sparked in awe, making Yuuri place one hand over his chest and look down at the only person who could answer our questions and disperse all my doubt once and for all, looking blessed, as if a Heavenly choir echoed in his ears. Me, on the other hand...? I couldn't stop myself from facepalming. These two... Of course, they would be too enraptured by Viktor being here to even think about why he's here besides being Yuuri's coach. I focused on a man who caused such a chaos of thoughts and emotions without saying a word to me himself with a visible frown on my face. Will I have guts to interrogate you without giving away my suspicions?

Our stares must have got a physical embodiment because Viktor suddenly sneezed and sat up slowly, waking up from his sleepy state and making other two jump back slightly.

"I'm starving. Hungry..." He glanced over one shoulder, casually sliding his dark green rode to show us some skin, drowsiness still evident on his face and voice. A simple gesture may have meant nothing to a male but to me it was unnecessary flirtatous and my eyes narrowed, ready to observe and analyse every even the smallest detail and pattern of his behavior.

"Huh?" Yuuri repeated his previous and oh-so coherent question and I mentally rolled my eyes. Note to myself: don't trust a lovesick fool with your suspicions and play Sherlock Holmes on your own. You're smart enough without Doctor Watson.

"He still wants to eat? Um, what would you like to eat?" What a pure and innocent cinnamon roll. I shook my head fondly and bore my gaze at our new guest, waiting for him to answer.

"Umm... As your coach, I'd like to know what your favorite food is, Yuuri." He smiled, making said boy blush like a schoolgirl and me gape at his shameless flirting. That was smooth, illegally so.

Hiroko, proving my theory about her having a supernatural hearing or a sixth sense when it comes to her guest, showed up, completely out of nowhere, an extra large pork cutlet bowl in her hands. A sight and delicious aroma brought out a reaction that pretty much mirrored my own when I tried their special and signature dish for the first time.

"Amazing!" Viktor took a bit of cutlet slice, masterfully wielding his chopsticks and I watched in interest as his eyes widened significantly, a prominent blush adorning his cheeks. "Vkusno! Too good for words! Is this what God eats?"

If I wouldn't have tried pork cutlet bowl myself, I would immediately dubbed his praises as unreasonably over-the-top. But even though I agree with him at this point whole-heartedly, my sarcasm switch was on and my polite side was left to watch in shock as a loud snort escaped me, soon followed by comment. "Depends on religion, really. But it's either mana or ambrosia and nectar." Clear blue eyes, the color of water when you watch through a lid of ice covering it zeroed on me, only now taking a notice of my presence. His gaze was somewhat intense and a bit unsettling but I was too prideful and stubborn to back down, so instead I put on a fake bravado and shrugged nonchalantly. "But you're right. It really is something otherworldly. I'm Sophia, by the way. A fellow non-Japanese guest." I offered him a smile that could mean whatever person on a receiving end wanted it mean and sighed in relief when Viktor shrugged off my awkward way of greeting with an easy-going smile.

"I'm Viktor. Nice to meet you." He looked me up and down, stopping only when he saw Makkachin, still sleeping with his head in my lap. Since I never made a sound of displeasure about his dog using me as a body pillow and visa versa, skater probably came to conclusion that I'm a good person, since his poodle trusts me.

"Likewise." I nodded, showing him to continue enjoying food and he complied.

Unfortunately, Yuuri wasn't as lenient about my impolite greeting, because he threw me a dirty look before smiling at Viktor slightly apologetically. "Anyway, I'm glad you like it."

Always a peacemaker, eh, Yuuri?

"Yuuri gains weight easily. So he was only allowed to eat it when he won a competition. Right?" Minako plopped herself by my other side and shared a bit of information with a mischievious smile on her face, making Yuuri blush in embarassment and me smirk deviously. She just earned a huge plus in my book. Viktor was quick to pick up on both the mood and topic.

"Oh? So have you eaten this pork cutlet bowl recently?" He asked and I perked up, sensing both an opening to get something for my suspicions and a sick burn coming up. Yuuri, being innocent and seeing only good in people ray of sunshine he is, didn't catch it because he nodded with a wide, closed eye smile on his face.

"Yes, yes. I eat it often."

"Why? You haven't won anything." Viktor closed Yuuri in a trap with just as naive and innocent smile while I closed my eyes, feeling how savage this comment was with every inch of my body. "With that pig's body of yours, lessons would be meaningless." He continued without missing a beat and I saw Yuuri wrap his arms around himself self-consciously while trying to cover his lower back with a baggy sweater. My eyes narrowed even more - if there's something I picked up while living here was that Yuuri had incredibly fragile self-confidence and intentionally or not, but Viktor was tactlessly stomping on its shards. "You need to get back to your weight at last year's Grand Prix Final, at the least...or I can never coach you."

Despite an innocent smile plastered on foreigner skater's lips, the mood was serious and even tense. Yuuri stared at his new coach with his mouth hanging open, internally screaming with absolute mortification, overwhelmed by everything that transpired between us.

I snickered to myself, already feeling amusement that will become an inevitable element of my staying here from this day on.

 _Let the crash course begin._

* * *

 **Dimly lit up room. Narrator's gaze moves from tiled floor and lands on a pedestal, a simple dark wooden coffin resting on top of it. Soft candle light dances hypnothically, making countless bouquets of white flowers and all the fanfics and fanarts that will never be seen and enjoyed visible. An ear catches sobs and sniffs coming from rows of mourners, all of them clad in black to express their grief. She was so young... So full of life... Her death fell upon her completely out of nowhere...**

 **A dark haired woman rises from her seat hastily and rushes outside to get a little breather. As she opens the door, a strange and vaguely familliar song slips through the gap, its sweet tune filling the room and lyrics reaching ears of everyone present.**

 **"Can you hear my heartbeat..."**

 **A soft lift of a finger. Murky blue eyes snap open and a sharp intake of air makes oxygen surge into her empty lungs. Muscles move on their own accord, making limp body of a young teenage girl sit upright, the abrupt and sudden movement scaring the living daylights out of everyone present. Panic and absolute chaos falls upon mourners and narrator watches silently as people trip over their own feet and knock over heavy benches in a desperate attempt to flee.**

 **Pale and parched lips quiver as a sudden wave of emotions flood her veins, bringing new life and freeing her soul from cold and firm grasp of Death. Her mouth opens up and only four words escape, filling now empty and void of any living beings room.**

 **"Please leave a review."**


	7. Chapter 7

**8 days left...**

 **What am I supposed to do afterwards? What am I going to do with my life? Let's face it - besides YOI I don't really have much of a life...**

 **That's why this fanfic is so important to me. It will serve as a salvation during whatever period of time it will be until Season 2.**

 **Thank you for all (re)views, you guys are amazing!**

 **My Small Russian Fairy of Angst should make an entrance soon. And as a story picks up speed, that's where all the fun will start.**

 **I don't even know. Enjoy this chapter..?**

 **Disclaimer: Nope, I only own Sophie.**

* * *

"Yo, Valley Girl!" I called out, my voice muffled by two heavy boxes I was carrying. "I think they messed up your luggage in the airport. You sure these suitcases don't belong to Paris Hilton, Victoria Beckham or any of given Kardashians?"

"Nope! This is all mine." Came an annoyingly cheerful response and I dropped boxes I was holding on a floor, feeling done. I managed to fit a better part of my belongings into two medium sized suitcases and one duffel bag. And I'm a girl if you pay attention to popular stereotypes. So, question of a day: did Viktor dismantled and brought here all his furniture? Is it his way of making home away from home?

"Wow! What a classic, tiny room." Were is he getting all his cheerfullness and positivity from? "Is there a sofa?"

I leaned against doorframe, my arms crossed over my chest. "Nope! As you can see, this room is completely and absolutely empty!"

My fake mock happiness was ignored by a newly dubbed 'Valley Girl' and not exactly appreciated by his loyal 'Fangirl99' ( as I started calling Yuuri in my mind since the beginning of this evening) if a dirty, scolding glare was anything to go by.

"I'm sorry it's so small. We only had an unused banquet room available." Why, oh why, do you feel as if you need to defend yourself, Yuuri?

"You look anxious." I saw Viktor giving a boy who was still on a floor and out of breath from moving his idol in a very specific look and I felt little cogwheels start to work underneath my light brown and mostly untamed mane of hair. What does it mean? Is it like one of my universal smiles that can mean whatever you want?

"Anxiety is his middle name." I muttered to myself and luckily no one heard me.

"You can pay the coaching fee after you achieve success! I'll bill you later." Continued Viktor without missing a beat and I perked up. Now that he mentioned it...

"It's all good in the hood but how do you know that Yuuri needs a new coach in a first place? And speaking of coaches, what about yours?" No, seriously. Shouldn't Yuuri inform his current or previous coach about him or her being replaced like that? Looks like a douche move to me, but then again, who am I to judge?

"I'm sure Celestino won't mind me taking over his position. Right, Yuuri?" Viktor directed his clear eyes at lightly blushing younger man but not before sending me a silent message, saying ' _Leave_ '.

"Th-Thank you." Stammered other male, blissfully oblivious to a smug look I shot to his new coach. ' _Make me'._

What happened next only served to answer me better than thousand words. ' _Challenge accepted'_ , and suddenly Viktor knelt in front of Yuuri, completely disregarding my presence.

"What kind of rink do you skate at?" Voice, smoother than silk and sweeter than honey made Yuuri's blush intensify tremendulously but gave diabetes to me. 'Standart at Ice Castle, Hasetsu' I answered mentally for my friend, who was too busy being tongue-tied.

"What's in this town? Is there a girl you like?" Viktor continued his psychoanalisis, not noticing his target's awareness of their close proximity. I used this chance to observe Russian skater and took mental notes so I could overthink myself to sleep for the upcoming week or so.

"Tell me everything about you." One Kasanova's hand slowly trailed down his prey's limb before returning to round blushing face and tilting it by a chin gently. "Before we start practicing, let's build some trust in our relationship."

Panic overcame Yuuri and he jumped back hastily, until his back collided to a far wall. A sight of wide brown eyes, cherry red sweating face and ragged breaths made me clear my throat loudly, which effectively made me a center of attention.

"Under normal circumstances I would say 'Get a room' but you already did so... Japanese style of interior is breathtaking, don't you think?" I bore my gaze into Viktor's bathrobe clad figure before continuing. "I especially like these walls. Basically, it's noting more but a wooden frame and paper." These words, along with a meaning between the lines, had been directed towards Viktor and from a shift in his expression I could tell that it wasn't amiss. "Pretty sure you could hear a pin drop from the other side of this house. Perks of good accoustic."

A turned on my heel swiftly and made my way out. Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against couples of the same gender. Long years of fangirling and shipping made me incredibly open-minded and I learned to accept people despite them being of different race, religion or sexuality. I learned how to look at things outside of stereotypic frames and do not judge others without knowing them. But Viktor's actions are completely of the bat and it makes me question his motives. He doesn't seem like a bad person but Yuuri admires Viktor greatly and I don't want him to get hurt.

But then again, what right do I have to butt in and meddle with their relationship, no matter the kind of it? Besides emotionally saving or destroying my friend, it has nothing to do with me. Being a third wheel in this case might only bring problems. No one wants that. Maybe I should wait and see how things are going to play out?

I halted in front of a door to my room and facepalmed. Ugh, I'm such an idiot! I know Viktor for literally one day! Who knows, maybe he's naturally flirty person and that's how he treats everyone? Why the heck am I so paranoid and suspicious? After all, Viktor's reaction after seeing Yuuri jump away from him showed genuine surprise. And here I am, standing here and overthinking situation instead of mindind my own business. Why am I the way I am?

I belly-plopped on crisp white sheets and pulled out my phone. Thank God this place has Wi-Fi because right now only a good dose of Tumblr could take my mind off analysing someone's dirty laundry. Plus, the newest episode of Supernatural just aired out and I'm too weak to resist to the power of good spoilers.

Hours were lost that day somewhere in a depths of my Dashboard and I regret nothing. Since my usually bottomless stomach was full after dinner we had with our new guest, I decided to go take a shower and spend the rest of the evening curled up in a bed, reading fanfictions or sketching something in my notebook.

I was just finishing a detailed sketch of sakura branches, covered in snow when my ears picked up familiar voice, coming from direction of Yuuri's room.

"Yuuri, let's sleep together. As your coach, there's so much I need to learn about you." _Damn you, Viktor. I warned you about paper walls!_

I felt torn between hiding my head under a pillow and listening in just to hear Yuuri's answer. And I wasn't disappointed.

"No!" Soon enough came a very distressed and panicked shout and it took me a minute before it clicked. Posters! Oh, poor lover boy. Though something whispered to me that Viktor wouldn't get creeped out by Yuuri's obsession. Personally I found it endearing even though I poked fun because of it from time to time too.

I did a few finishing touches and placed my notebook and pencil on a bedside table, satisfied with results. Wrapping myself in a blanket burrito I closed my eyes, trying to ignore one annoying song that decided to start and play in my head nonstop. Three hours, seven hundred position changes and a sacrifice to gods later my body finally surrendered and allowed my conscious to drift to sleep.

* * *

It felt as if I just closed my eyes when an alarm clock blared loudly, scaring a living daylights out of me and making me jump out of my bed as if the world was coming to an end. Unfortunately, due to my habit to wrap myself in a blanket as if it was a cocoon, my legs got tangled in sheets and I was forced to go for a rough landing on a floor. Always here when I fall...

"Ugh..." What a wonderful way to start a day. This less than graceful way of getting out of bed shook me awake better than alarm clock and after letting out a resigned sigh I picked myself of the floor. After my usual routine of stretches and quick shower, I dug a pair of plain black leggings, burgundy t-shirt that said ' _Does running from my problems counts as a cardio?'_ in bold white letters and white zip-up hoodie and wine red Converse sneakers. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and after grabbing my phone, left my room.

It was still early, about 6am but I needed to take a little walk and get some inspiration in case I would get bored after finishing today's chores in Yu-topia. My eighteenth birthday was fast approaching and though neglecting responsibilities had been fun, I need to think about what should I do with my life. What should I study? The problem is that I chicken out every time I think that one single decision might determine a course of my entire life. Of course, it's not necessary true, but a thought still exists, still nags and haunts me and it's enough for me to start doubting myself all over again.

Life seemed so easy while I was still in high school. Exams, universities, occupations, adulthood - everything seemed to be so far away. This impression lulled me into a false sense of security, created an illusion that time goes slower that it actually does. And when harsh reality dragged me back from a world of illusions that I crafted so carefully since that damned day two years ago, I made a choice of FEAR. I Forgot Everything And Ran. Far far away. I don't even know. Maybe I thought that inevitability of abiding to world's nature will give up and stop chasing me as soon as I move to other continent. These expectations of putting fate into letargo sleep had given me nothing more than a shadow of hope. And though I could feel it slipping out of my grasp, I felt unable to stop myself from these futile and desperate attempts of holding on. Because even a straw looks like a salvation if you're drowning.

But it wasn't like this all the time. No. I had ambition and like an inexperienced, naive fool, I decided to be bold enough and place all my future on it. As if a life was a casino. I got blinded by dreams and illusions. Oh, how easily they got shattered, leaving me to stand here in a dark of unknown.

I was a dancer once. I know, it sounds like one of traditional sob stories and maybe it is. I don't even care at this point. But I was a dancer and, more importantly, I was a _good_ dancer. A perspective prodigy, whose passion for what she was doing burned brighter than any known words could explain and mortal hearts could understand. An entire world was my oyster and I tried to use it as best as I could. I easily picked up new styles and aced even the most difficult of moves. I surpassed everyone in my group and soon enough I had found myself competing in Regionals, after that - in Nationals. I never missed podium, not even once, and my patents couldn't be any more proud. I focused on a feeling I got every time I danced. The way my body moved along with music and how I seemingly flew over dancefloor, my feet barely touching ground. Already picturing myself as a professional dancer, famous worldwide, maybe even becoming a dancing teacher after retiring. Oh, how short-lived these fantasies were!

Everything started as usual. I changed my clothes into more comfortable outfit, waiting for my instructor to show up and start another practice. It was right before an important competition and if I would get podium, I would earn a place and ticket to compete on the International level. It was all I ever wanted, so naturally, I had no problem sacrificing meals and sleep to practice. My muscles were constantly sore and my legs would occasionally give away but my determination to rise above all restrains, all expectations was stronger and only fueled my inner fire, serving as a shot of painkillers. It helped me to forget the pain, even if only for a little while, but it still was enough for me to ignore or crush everything that stood in my way.

Instructor entered a studio and another killer practice began. Through gritted teeth but I managed to execute it perfectly and was about to congratulate myself for all the hard work when a sharp pain pierced my heart, making my trembling with exhaustion legs buckle beneath me. A violent cough racked through my body and I had found myself struggling to breath. Black and yellow spots danced in a field of my vision, as if mocking me. I could barely hear my instructor crying out in alarm and rushing over my nearly unconscious body. Static fell on my ears, deafening me and pushing further to a panic attack. My body felt as if it was wrapped in a cotton and I could no longer tell a difference between temperature changes. It was that moment when a bad premonition washed over my mind and I blacked out, plunging into darkness.

 _"Forget about dancing and live or continue to do what you're doing and you'll be dead within a year."_

* * *

 **How morbid.**

 **Yeah, this chapter is not much when it comes to anime storyline but it gives you a better grasp on Sophia's past. A cliche sob story, I know. But I think of it as a mandatory fanfic element and I'm way too lazy to try and change it.**

 **Since the next week will be also last before Christmas Holidays, I'm going to have a bit more free time on my hands and hopefully I'll be able to update faster.**

 **Please leave a review! I appreciate your opinion and all constructive criticism.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	8. Chapter 8

**The end of the world is near!**

 **I'm so not ready for episode 12. I don't believe that Viktuuri will break up but even without it, there's so many unanswered questions and how Kubo-sensei is going to fit everything in 23 minutes is beyond me. About time to announce and confirm season 2, no?**

 **No matter how episode 12 is going to play out, I'll undoubtfully end up makkachoking on my feelings.**

 **Sorry for that terrible and old pun but it describes my current state perfectly, so I'm not really sorry?**

 **Disclaimer: Nope! But now I know what I should ask Santa for Christmas.**

* * *

I felt mirth bubbling in my chest and stiffled a laugh that threatened to burst out. Five faces mirrored each other perfectly, showing nothing more but shock and disbelief. It's amazing what kind of effect can Viktor leave on people he's seeing for the first time and this moment only proved my point. I bit my lip in frustration for not snapping a few pictures and turning them into Christmas cards because reactions I was fortunate enough to witness were downright priceless.

Let's take a step back and look at this situation from a bit different range, shall we?

See, while I was reopening my old wounds by reminiscing even older times, Viktor managed to kick Yuuri out of his bed before a rooster could even announce the beginning of new day and made poor boy follow his new training regiment. The goal was to lose all extra pounds and I was already feeling sorry for a younger skater. Working out is only half of deal. The rest is accomplished through agonizing diets and to me even a thought about saying no to a better part of Yu-topia's menu sounded like a purest form of torture.

Right now, the two of them stood up in front of a very flabbergast Nishigori family. Naturally, as soon as I learned about their plans to visit Ice Castle, I decided to tag along. Skating was still off-limits to Yuuri but they decided it would be a good idea to look around and ask owners for permission to use their rink for practicing. Already anticipated reactions that were bound to follow a grey haired skater wherever he went became reality the moment he introduced himself as Yuuri's new coach. The idea about a living legend of skating world coaching their local and national skating hero within an arm's reach only added to owners' surprise.

Triplet girls were the first ones to snap out of daze.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"What?!"

Unfortunately, they all spoke at the same time and if that wasn't enough to confuse me, I still had difficulties telling them apart. Okay, wait. It wasn't that hard to differenciate them from one another but I just couldn't remember which one of them is Axel, Loop or Lutz.

"Viktor's really going to be Yuuri's coach?" I was seriously tempted to gently pick these hanging jaws and close wide open mouths before they could catch flies.

"Yes. It's already decided. Now all that's left to do is to find a place suitable for training sessions." Confirmed Viktor with a nod making five faces in front of us instantly light up. I suppose we can cross that out of list.

* * *

Watching Yuuri skate a routine that got him in this mess was one thing; seeing the original skating what seemed more like a warm-up than an actual performance was entirely different. Now, as my gazed followed Viktor's graceful figure and my ears caught every sound that was made by his skates, it was so easy for me to understand why Yuuri and everyone I met so far in Japan held Russian skater in such high regard, admiring and idolizing him. Even my unexperienced eye could gauge the way he seemed to become one with ice. This cold and slippery element of nature that bowed to no one was his ally, his friend, his lover. Viktor's movements held the same refined elegance, beauty and precision that all professionals had in their preferred sport. It was gained through hard work and determination but still had a subtle taste of sheer talent and ambition. It was a delicate detail that allowed to tell apart veterans from amateurs.

I wasn't the only one transfixed by a sight. Taking a look around I saw Yuuko, spellbound and close to drooling, her lips mouthed names of different jumps, such as quadruple flip as her round innocent eyes trailed over fluid movements, sparkling with awe.

"Mom, I've got this!"

"I'll take the video!"

"Can I upload this?" Chirped little girls eagerly and I felt a sliver of dread, already imagining reactions that a video, showing Viktor skate here in Hasetsu would receive. Reporters would swarm this place, attracted by a possible scoop like bees to honey. My gut feeling or maybe female intuition whispered to me that Viktor would not appreciate all media attention. And although skater was easy-going and had a naturally laid-back personality but so did a personified version of his country from Hetalia* and for a moment there I pictured Viktor going berserk. Not the best sight to see.

"That's not for the public, you skating otaku trio!" Regained his gift of speech mind-reader Yuuri and I nodded, agreeing whole-heartedly.

"What he said."

"Seriously?" Takeshi turned to look at us disbelievingly. I bet he would know how to make use of a crowd of people that would follow Viktor's steps like hounds.

"Yeah." A fondness in Yuuri's voice took me aback and made me look at him closely. He was wearing a soft smile on his face and gazed at older skater tenderly. I made a mental note to remember this expression. A nagging feeling told me that it's going to be important later on. "He says he'd like to use this rink as our home base for now."

"Okay, sure! I'll talk to the higher-ups!" Nishigori Dad laughed while patting Yuuri on a shoulder enthusiastically. Translation: the rink is yours because no sane person would say no to Viktor Nikiforov. "Viktor teaching you himself... It's like a dream come true!" Takeshi looked like he was the one lucky enough to get picked by the almighty Ice King.

"Yeah..." Yuuri trailed off uncertainly and I saw the man of a day skating closer to us, as if wishing to become a part of our conversation.

"The little piggy can't enter the rink until he drops some body fat." He teased playfully, causing Yuuri to sweatdrop and me to sigh exasperatedly.

* * *

"Maybe he just wanted an excuse to take a break." Speculated Minako as we watched Yuuri trying to dance ballet while I cringed at his rusty movements.

"No, I don't think so. Viktor doesn't seem like the type. Skating is obviously too important to him to take a break like that." I shook my head, had already thought this through just as Yuuri's slightly anxious voice reached us.

"Please don't say that. That's what I suspect, too, but..."

Uncertainty in his tone made me furrow my brows. Yuuri's crippling depression was nothing new to me and seeing how close he was to succumbing to his lack of self-confidence rung my alarm bells. I know first-handedly what it's like to lose all faith in yourself being already familiar with it's consequences I made it one of my top priorities to try and save Yuuri from repeating my mistakes. _Don't follow my footsteps, Yuuri. I tend to run into walls._

"You decided to keep skating, didn't you?" Continued Minako, completely unaware of the inner turmoil I voluntarily dragged myself into the moment I decided to break my own rules and get attached to people.

A heavy panting was the only answer she got and I turned my head to see Yuuri, leaning against mirrored wall, letting barre to support his weight fully. But what really got my attention was the way he clutched his chest with one arm. That, combined with a sight of his round face glistening with sweat triggered not the most pleasant memories and I squeezed my eyes shut to avoid possible flashbacks.

"You need to take advantage of Viktor!" Minako's enthusiastic shout snapped me back to reality and I snorted, looking at older woman disbelievingly.

"You make it sound as if Viktor is a gold mine, ready to be exploited."

"But, in a way, he is!" Ballet dancer raised one fist in the air, a bright fire burning in her eyes. "It's not every day you get an opportunity to be coached by someone of this calliber. It would be stupid to not use it to its fullest!"

A short break that was provided by our little conversation ended and Minako once again focused all her attention to her student. Sensing something coming up, Yuuri waited for what his instructor had to say, a fearful expression and sweatdrop already forming on his face. I can't say I don't understand or even share his emotions. Say what you want, but people who manage to maintain their cheerful, positive outlook can be downright terrifying, intentionally or not.

"Alright! Let's get you slimmed down!"

* * *

The next few days fell into even more prominent routine with me working as a maid and occasionally cook in Yu-topia and Yuuri training hard to lose all extra weight with Viktor, dogging his pretty much every step and keeping a watchful eye on his student's progress. I saw Yuuri a few times jogging, struggling to keep up with his bicycle-riding coach while running a few errands for Hiroko. Despite my paranoid suspicions, the two actually started to bond with each other and to my great surprise, it was done it increadibly natural and healthy way. As their relationship progressed and conversations became more intimate, I found myself avoiding to be in the same room as to not intrude. But since all three of us are living under the same room, staying away completely was impossible.

And one particular afternoon served as a prime example.

"Do you have feelings for Minako?" Viktor asked randomly when guys had been sitting on a bench outside after another one of their work out session. I was just passing by, crates with food products and various ingrediants in my hands. Yuuri spluttered, tripping in surprise and I choked on my own saliva.

"What?! No way!"

"Viktor, she's at least twice his age. I'm pretty sure Minako is like Yuuri's aunt or something. No blood relation, though." I changed my hold on crates to avoid dropping them and sighed. "It's something we have in common - neither of us look our age."

"Hmm." Viktor hummed in thought before continuing. "Do you have a girlfriend?"

"No." Yuuri's calm response threw me off for some reason but as a topic about current and ex love interests commenced, I took my cue and returned to my chores. Unfortunately, right now we just received new food delivery and since Hiroko asked me to carry everything to specified storage and kitchen, I was forced to pass them by countless times. That meant me being bound to catch snippets of their conversation. Oh, who am I kidding? I heard enough to participate in their discussion.

"Any ex-girlfriends?" Viktor carried on smoothly as if they were talking about weather but I could clearly see discomfort appear on Yuuri's face.

"N-No comment." Younger skater stuttered and I felt pity veil up inside of me. But I constantly felt a lot of things and since my mind worked on it's own accord, I decided to tease him playfully.

"So it's a no. Could you be a late bloomer?" I smirked lightly but not before adding mentally. _"Or maybe gay?"_ Both cases are fine with me.

"Then let's talk about me!" Viktor's wide smile and sudden 180 of topic whiplashed me and I shook my head. I shouldn't even be surprised by older man's antics any more. "My first girlfriend was-" I saw Yuuri stare flabbergast at his coach who was taking an unexpected trip down his memory lane with a fond expression on his face. I wasn't really interested in Viktor's list of exes - as a ridiculously hot celebrity he was undoubtfully lusted by women all around the world and I was pretty sure that said list could rival a soul selling contract from Supernatural in length. Plus, my inner gossip girl was surprisingly inactive that week so I sent one pitiful glance towards Yuuri and carried a box with sake bottles inside. It was the last one so Hiroko thanked me and gave the rest of day off.

I made my way to my room and plopped myself on a bed. My eyes swept over all belongings I brought here from Lithuania, searching for something that could be easily transformed into activity. Five minutes and at least dozen rejected ideas later I was ready to give up when my eyes rested on a black leather case with my laptop inside. I was tempted to Skype my parents but then I remembered that we're seven hours apart. It was noon here so both my parents were still sound asleep or already up and working. Doesn't mean I can't go to Facebook though.

My parents are strange when it comes to modern technology. My dad is a pro - not surprisingly, since it's a part of his way of making for a living. But even with his superior knowledge on a subject, dad opted for a social media-free lifestyle, using the Internet only to see news all around the world, watch hardcore DIY videos (on how to work with wood and metal since he has very capable hands) and whatnot. Now, my mom is different. She wouldn't mind spending her days in Facebook if not for her workaholic nature and lack of knowledge over modern technology. Mom loves a good gossip but she's slow on catching up with everything that 21st century has to offer. That's why she was desperate about me teaching her how to get around with social media. Since calling from Lithuania to Japan is not something we can afford, it was clear that Facebook and Skype will be the only means of communication from now on.

After my forced retirement from dancing world a lot of things changed. A diagnosis put an end to my outgoing personality and social life. Media buzzed with different theories and speculations as to why I ended my carrier but I only told it was due to 'medical reasons' during one of many interviews and refused to comment further. The little fame I had diminished and I breathed out a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, all popularity I gained from dancing on national level played more important role in my life than I initially suspected because soon after that i started losing my friends. At first I thought it was something about me - maybe I pushed people away without realising it? Retiring did a number on my self-confidence, I knew it and never even bothered to deny it. Even before taking up dancing I was a shy kid who due to unorthodox way of thinking got shun away.

This time everything was a bit different. All my friends who loyally stayed by my side through thick and thin were older than me. They graduated before I could and went off to live their own lives. And all friends I gained during my carrier were never my friends in a first place. Even the ones I thought to be closest to me didn't take too long to change me for better, more popular friends.

Needless to say, it wasn't what I needed at the time. My state of mind and inner world were fragile. A sudden role of an outcast and cold shoulder from people I had my trust in pushed me in a void of depression. I holed up in my room and started writing in a journal for days. Sad and even suicidal songs were my only company but the thought itself about taking my own life never crossed my mind. Instead, I chose to egzist through my time at school (because it shouldn't be called living; I'm not the one to sugarcoat things) and then drown in my own misery at home. Nights were spent writing and thinking.

God knows how I managed to pull myself out of that neverending pity party. I remember keeping everything to myself - even though my parents had a hunch and a vague idea of what was going on with their only child, I kept silent about the depth of depression that threatened to destroy me. I could see a concerned and worried look in their eyes but being a dancer also meant being an actress. I only have a few blurry memories about watching anime under a pile of blankets with a bucket of ice cream, box of Oreos and paper bags full of powdered doughnuts my parents brought me from their shopping trips in Poland. After currency transition in 2015 it was way more economical to buy just about everything in a neighbouring country. I also remember redrawing various manga panels and writing one-shots. I carried on with my reading obsession and from depressed princess of gloom and doom I became a full-fledged fangirl nerd/geek. And let me tell you one thing - I regret nothing. I may be an antisocial introvert but I'm happy. More or less.

My eyes scrolled over dashboard and a slight but highly amused smirk curled my lips upwards. Seems like my ex-classmates hadn't changed at all. That, and my predictions for them after graduation were right. During the last two years I picked up a new hobby to kill some time - observation. A good part of my life had been spent reading books and as time went by, I noticed my new uncanny ability to read people just as well.

Every person in my class was nowhere near being my friend. I used to thought of them as nothing more than people I have to tolerate during long years of school. They were my associates at best. This hostility was mutual and reached even elementary school. Female population of my class appeared to be shallow and petty even to my eight year old self so it was only natural to spend my breaks and time after classes with boys. My plain, simple and tomboyish personality preferred playing basketball, soccer and just about any outdoor game over mingling in school corridors and bad-mouthing everyone within a field of vision. I played Pokemon Indigo; I had at least six accounts in Travian, two accounts in Runescape, I watched other anime sans Sailor Moon, I was a constant participant in school's huge snowball fight that took place every winter and I could land a good punch - all boys respected me, especially after I defeated their alfa in a fight fair and square and all girls viewed me as a traitor of their gender. After third grade I officially became nerd - my position as a top of my class was no secret but it never got said out loud.

Well, not much had changed really.

Before enrolling in local Art school for dancing classes I went through hell of bullying. Of course, all tables turned around when I started competing and became famous but you already know how well that ended. Right now I'm satisfied with being on my own. Verbal and physical harrasment along with a string of betrayals taught me an important life lesson and made me wary of my surroundings.

Still, call me a wretched soul, but seeing all misfortunes of people who turned my heart into an icicle brought a wave of inner satisfaction. I'm not the most religious person in the world but I do believe in Karma, and knowing that at least one of higher forces had my back made me instantly feel better.

Satisfied with Karma's progress, I shut down my laptop and made myself comfortable on the bed, my attention now focused on a red wine journal I used to write down my thoughts. It was an old yearbook I came across while cleaning the attic back at home. Dates on a top corners of every page had little meaning to me - this chaos swirled in my mind constantly and I didn't care if today is not September 14th, 2013. And I don't feel sorry about wasting resources - let's say, I understand that it's too late if a tree had been already cut off and paper made. All I could do was fill in blank pages. And that's what I did.

That day I skipped dinner and spent the rest of a day confined between four walls. I managed to finish a few rough sketches that laid around in a navy blue folder since this summer and read some manga. Time flew at light's speed or maybe I fell into some time and space quantinium while enjoying my solitude because the sun shined its last rays on this earth before hidding below horizont. Night fell and I must have felt asleep shortly after because the next thing I know is a loud commotion outside the window.

I sat up and rubbed a crust out of my eyes, taking in sun's position in the sky.

"Morning already...?"

A loud shouts from what sounded suspiciously like a crowd of people reached my ears, making me crawl out of my bed and look out the window.

"Woah."

I rubbed my eyes again to make sure I'm not dreaming before facepalming. _Should I buy a lottery ticket?_

"Wild crowd appeared." I whispered to myself, feeling the effect of years playing Pokemon rearing its head and watched as a few dozens of reporters stormed inside of the inn, sprouting predictable questions. Looks like I really do have ESP.

"Is it true that Viktor is here?!"

"Comment, please!"

"Can we share a bath with him?!"

The last one made me back away from the window. I grabbed a clean set of clothes and went to take a shower, all the while thinking about what should I do next. All these reporters came here for Viktor and that was understandable but based on their reactions to skater being here and also taking in their enthusiasm about a possibility to get a good scoop made things dangerious for me. In their eyes I was no one and more than anything in the world I wanted to stay this way. But I was also familiar with the ways of media and I knew immediately that any person caught in contact with Viktor would find themselves under a close scrutiny. And though there was literally nothing between us, the fact that we live under the same room and spend some time around each other because of Yuuri was enough to make me paranoid.

I knew that the next destination of reporters will be Hasetsu Ice Castle and it gave me some time to prepare how to work around my schedule to keep as minimal contact with both skaters as possible and also rehearsed what I should say in case reporters would ask me something as a part of working staff.

I was determined to avoid all unnecessary attention at any costs.

* * *

An entire week passed and I got used to a sudden boom in a number of our customers. To be honest, I was glad for it. More people meant more work for me so I didn't have that many time to be around paparazzi. I moved my working place to a kitchen, helping out Toshiya which really helped me to stay unnoticed. Not that I needed to lay low. Yuuri spent every day working out and from these rare glimpses I got to throw at dark haired skater I could see extra kilos melting off of him. Viktor stayed by his student's side, keeping a sharp eye on younger man's progress like any competent coach should.

A fair portion of people who got here because of Viktor got enough of their target and left. While cleaning rooms Mari told me that a day before an unexpected swarm of reporters, Viktor posted a few selfies on Instagram with hashtags of his location. I pinched a bridge of my nose in irritation when I heard this. Keeping in mind millions of Viktor's followers on social media, it was only a matter of time before his unexpected departure for Japan and sudden change of plans in general would get to see daylight.

But a horde of reporters and fans weren't the only people that got baited to come here by a few damned selfies. Somewhere in a middle of Hasetsu stood a bitter teen, with his face covered by hood, sunglasses and black face mask - a mandatory item in a bigger city. He stared up at a horrendous stone statue before snapping photo.

"Wow, creepy."

* * *

 **Sorry for a delay. I wanted to write a longer chapter to cover up more of Episode 2. I want to get all main characters in this story. Because after 7 whole chapters we still don't see Yuri and to me it feels as if I'm subconsciously procrastinating his appearance. And 'Treading on Thin Ice' is Yuri x OC fanfic. Do you see a problem here?**

 ***Yet another mention in this fanfic. Will I ever be able to escape from Hetalia hell?**

 **I should probably warn you now - there will be a LOT of references to a LOT of different fandoms. Sophia is your traditional bookwork otaku fangirl. Be warned.**

 **This chapter is a chaotic mess - a lot like episode 11. But I felt like i should give you a bit more of Sophia's background and her inner world.**

 **Also, tomorrow I'm having my first official English mock exam. It's results might not be very important besides simple grade, but my anxiety is running high because I'm a prideful perfectionist and also now I'll have to wait at least six hours to watch finale. Wish me luck!**

 **Please leave a review! This sentence is repetitive, I know, but I really do appreciate your opinion and even the smallest review gets me squeeling for at least three days straight.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	9. Chapter 9

**First Wednesday without new episode of YOI to look forward to... What exactly have I been doing with my life before? What even is life?**

 **Thank you for all (re)wievs! I'm glad that you liked my Christmas Special. That's why I'm writing one for New Year too? Are we going to see some domestic Viktuuri and disturbed by their mushy PDA Yuri? Yes, we are!**

 **Oh! Since Yuri is now officially part of this story, I'm changing rating from M to T. We all know that our precious Russian Punk doesn't use filter when it comes to his vocabulary. Sophia is natural at adapting to new environment so you can expect her to use some profanities from now on too.**

 **Disclaimer: If only. But that's okay, 'cuz Next Level.**

* * *

I stared at a plain looking key, resting in a middle of my open palm. It glistened in the radiant afternoon sun invitingly but cautious and skeptical thoughts swirled in my head, holding me back from darting towards Minako's studio. Despite all the desire burning in my chest and demanding to give in, I couldn't help but feel wary. It's been a long time since I could let my feet move across dancefloor without a tint of fear. Still, I could hear Minako's words, echoing through the coridors of my mind on repeat, slowly driving me over the edge, tearing down my defence walls.

 _"You're a dancer; I can tell from your posture and body fitness. But I can also tell that you hadn't done that for some time. Now I don't know the reason behind it and I won't nag you if you don't want to talk about it. But you're a true dancer, I can see it in your eyes, and there's nothing worse for a true dancer than to stay away from our element."_

The moment she pulled me aside from the others, I knew something bad will happen. Giving me a spare key of her studio... Minako had only best intentions when doing that but she was unaware of a challenge this simple little object meant for me. It was a test of will and I was afraid to fail it.

I mulled things over as my feet carried me towards Hasetsu Ice Castle. I figured that cool and chilly air that circulated in the ice rink would help me to clear my mind and make the best choice. Not to mention that it was far away from Minako's studio and different enough for me to avoid any temptations. Thank God for my inability to ice skate...

A loud and all too familiar commotion reached my ears and a heavy sigh escaped my lips. These people honestly have no life! You'd think Viktor's polite but not exactly warm attitude towards his followers would have cooled them off but no! Even their idol was getting fed up with his privacy being constantly intruded, so you can only imagine how much all this hustle got on my nerves.

Good thing is that Yuuko, pure, sweet, and understanding Yuuko showed me how to get inside through back doors. Of course, I never mentioned about knowing of this secret passage already and picking lock to get inside when I needed to get away from the world and organize my thoughts. But still, her sharpness and kindness were greatly appreciated.

Yuuri was still out there, in the town, jogging to lose his last extra kilos and taking in the crowd outside the front door could only mean that Viktor was inside of building. Now that little detail earned a raised eyebrow from me because Russian skater rarely left his student's side. To be honest, if I wouldn't know better, I'd say they're sleeping together.

I plopped myself on a plastic chair by the wall and took out a paperback novel from my bag. Though in general Viktor and I got along just fine, I wasn't sure how should I treat him. Viktor was older than me by almost ten years and though he didn't exactly act the part, I'm still trying to be respectful. My polite but somewhat detached way of treating a silver haired male ends up creating awkward and even tense atmosphere between us that is always defused by Yuuri. A good part of Viktor's actions and his easy-go-lucky personality puts me in the adult's place which makes things even more awkward, atleast on my behalf. That's probably why I preferred being around him only when Yuuri's with us.

About two chapters later I heard one of Nishigori triplets, shouting louder than before, her words, though completely unsurprising, for some reason immediately peaked my attention.

"Hey! You can't go in there!"

The rest of conversation, if there was one, was probably much more quiet because the noise of crowd made it impossible for me to hear any further. However, the fact that someone managed to get through, made me put away the book, rise on my feet and move towards commotion. Triplets are tough, yes, but they are also just six year old girls and dealing with crazy and thirsty fans might lead them to becoming victims of a wild stampede.

"Viktor's inside, isn't he?" A voice that could only belong to a young teen reached my ears as I drew closer.

"Come in, come in." Three identical voices piped up in response but I frowned at how scared and intimidated they sounded.

I ran hastily towards them, ready to interfere if needed then a black clad figure jogged by the crowd casually before hitting the door, completely out of breath and panting heavily. Seeing as no one noticed my failed attempt at being a hero, I retreated back silently and hid behind the corner. If needed, I'm pretty sure Yuuri will be able to deal with any problem that might arise. Me, on the other hand? I'm a kitten that got killed by curiousity and I'd be damned if I'd stop satisfaction of spying and eavesdropping on other people conversations bring me back.

"Finally here... I'm exhausted..." Yuuri said as he tried to even his breathing and I thanked Loki for glass door and just enough volume for me to catch his words. Unfortunately, even as a jack of all trades, I suck at lip reading.

But what got my attention in that situation was a figure with dark clothes, leopard print jacket, leather studded backpack and matching animal print luggage. The stranger was clearly a male, but he had his back turned at me so I couldn't get a glimpse at his face. A black hood didn't exactly help either. And I could also see triplets, trying desperately get Yuuri's attention but to no avail. Their attempts fell on deaf ears because Yuuri kept talking, an oblivious smile on his face.

"Hey, get this. My weight's back to what it was before the Grand Prix Final! Now I'll finally get Viktor's permission to skate."

I wanted to congratulate dark haired skater but, you know, it was at this point that I noticed mysterious teen shaking with what seemed to be barely controlled anger. My interest shot up significantly and I was about to step out of my hideout and make my presence known. But then something happened, and so fast, it took my mind a few moments to process.

I saw Yuuri, opening up the front door and about to enter inside when an animal print and leather clad teen turned sharply, roundkicking poor boy in the back and making him fly a good three meters **(AN: about ten feet.)** forward until he hit the reception desk and fell back. I ran towards them to interfere when a teen, who had chin-lenth blond hair, walked briskly towards still laying Yuuri before stomping on his face.

"It's all your fault. Apologize." Growled out punk and I pushed him back forcefully.

"What is your problem, kid?!" I glared at stranger angrily and saw his light green eyes land on me.

"Mind your own business, hag."

"Like hell I will!" I shot back and turned around to help Yuuri stand up but he was already on his feet, fixing his glasses. "Are you okay?" Hearing my voice, laced with concern, made Yuuri look up at me and nod reassuringly before focusing his full attention on the offender.

"U-Uh, sorry, sorry." He smiled calmly and I stepped back in surprise. Then I looked at the newcomer and noticed how based on his voice, it was this teen who got allowed to enter and also asked about Viktor in a very casual and familiar manner - two things that are completely foreign to any obsessed fan. How fearful triplets acted around him... As if they recognize him...

"Say, Yuuri. Is this guy another celebrity I'm supposed to know but don't and because of that I'm not going to hear the end of it?" I asked carefully, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah. That's Yuri Plisetsky." Yuuri said it as if his response explained everything and I rolled my eyes.

"If you could be more specific, that would be perfect."

"I'm a three times junior world champion." Butted in a guy in question and I turned to look at him, only to see him staring at me disbelievingly. His comment had that bragging tone in it and my eyes narrowed slightly.

"Congrats, but I never heard of you and am probably going to forget your last name five seconds later. No offence." I shrugged my shoulders indifferently, just to get him off his high horse and watched in satisfaction as Yuri clenched his fists in annoyance, my plan working.

"Don't worry. Sophia had no idea about Viktor either." Jumped in Yuuri, remembering his role as a buffer and a peacemaker. Yuri only tsked, losing all interest in me and focusing his attention to older skater, walking further away from the entrance and leaning against the reception desk.

"He promised me first that he'd choreograph a program for me. What about you?"

"Huh? We haven't gotten to talking about programs or anything." Yuuri shrugged casually and I resisted the urge to facepalm. Not the best move here...

"What?!" Apparently, Yuri agreed with me wholeheartedly, because he took a step closer, stomping his foot. "You make him take a whole year off, and to do what?" Frustration in his voice got more and more prominent with each deliberate step he took and I saw his kinda attractive face turn into a grimace.

"To build trust in their relationship." I giggled under my breath but luckily no one heard me. Instead, Yuri continued his avalanche of questions, his facial expression getting creepier by every passing minute.

"Isn't getting him as a coach enough?" My wicked side of personality ate popcorn and watched as a blond guy took the last step, finally getting uncomfortably close to Yuuri and successfully invading his personal space. "As if a guy who'd sob in toilet stall at the Grand Prix Final can change at all just by getting Viktor as a coach!" Yuri tilted his head to one side, smiling like a madman and I caught myself wondering, how many screws you need to be short on to pull off a face like that.

But Yuuri obviously didn't share my outlook on the matter because he smiled calmly and patiently, as if dealing with a child, creeping me out even more (because who does that so coolly while facing a positively deranged maniac) and successfully getting on Yuri's nerves.

"Stop smirking, fatso!" A lame nickname made me chuckle slightly. Com'on, psycho. You can do much better than that. Especially since Yuuri just announced his returning to previous weight so it kinda lost all meaning.

"I don't really get the whole picture, so you should ask him yourself." Same, Yuuri. Same.

After gifting a teen with another strangely calm and even pleasant smile, Yuuri turned around swiftly and made his way towards ice rink, Yuri following closely behind.

For some unexplained reason I shot his back a smug grin (the hell was that about?) before trailing after and just in time to see as a newcomer caught a glimpse of Viktor and let out a small "Huh?".

Oh, the ice skating legend had the ability to make every move uneathly graceful. This time, the effect was even stronger because instead of a makeshift warm-up routine he skated to what seemed like a parts and snippets from a real program. And apparently I wasn't the only one to notice this, because soon enough I saw Yuri leaning against safety wall, his expression more casual.

"Those moves... They're for the short program Viktor was preparing for next season."

"What?" Yuuri turned to look at the younger boy, surprised, and I marveled at a complete one-eighty blondie's personality made in less than a second.

"Viktor was already putting together routines for next season. But he was really torn. Surprising the audience has always been his top priority. He had the whole world in his hands. But now, no matter what he does, no one's surprised anymore." I saw Yuri following Viktor's movements with a wistfull expression on his face and tried to compare his words to what I learned while dancing.

To us, surprising the audiences was never the most important part simply because there wasn't much in this sphere we could do. Every given dance required a specific emotion to be expressed so as soon as a genre of dance got announced, spectators already knew what they should expect. The most important part was how well you could convey your emotions without messing up technical part.

However, Yuri wasn't finished, because his next words left Yuuri staring at a skating figure with wide eyes and me with sadly downcasted eyes.

"He knows that better than anyone. If you don't have any inspiration left, you're as good as dead."

* * *

 **Not my best decision, but I'm making a stop here.**

 **I'll try to update a new chapter every Wednesday from now on (because of lack of new episodes, goddamnit) and some day in-between (most likely on weekend).**

 **Finally, Yuri's trully here! Maybe now things will get more interesting!**

 **You know the drill. Please leave a review because I'm paranoid and need constant reassurance.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	10. Chapter 10

**How's it going, guys and gals?**

 **It's been a strange few days and the result of a toll it had on me is visible in this chapter. If you can call it that, because I certainly can't.**

 **Remember, how in the Author's Note below previous chapter I mentioned what a bad idea it was to make a stop there? Yeah.**

 **This little something is a continuation of Chapter 9, rather than a full Chapter 10. Recently, my parents have started to limit my access to the Internet via smartphone (my only current source).That's why this update is one day late. But no need to worry! Right now I'm working on a foolproof plan how to keep regular updates without raising any suspicion. For this system to work flawlessly I'm going to need a lot of patience, stealthiness and calculations worth of Seung-Gil Lee but I'll manage!**

 **I'll understand if you'll crowd outside my bedroom window with torches and stakes.**

 **Disclaimer: Yeah, right.**

* * *

I stared at a blond kid, contemplating what he just said. Sure, Viktor's loss of inspiration would help to explain why he was here in the first place. In a way, Viktor was just like me, running away in desperate attempt to find something we lost. Creativity or sense of purpose. Inspiration, or a place under the sun.

"If he's going to take next season off, I wonder if he'll let me use his program. I know I can surprise people more. I need Viktor's help if I'm going to make my senior debut and win the Grand Prix Final." Yuri continued to pour his heart out, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"It's not that simple." I shook my head before directing a calculating gaze at him as Yuuri turned to look at his namesake, a bit slow at processing and catching up.

"Huh? Win?"

But it was my comment that got Russian's attention because soon enough his greatly irked expression greeted me, light sea-green eyes clashing against my similar ones.

"What do you know about anything, hag?!"

"I know that every program a performer does is personalized and for you to be able to use one, it would have to be changed to fit your individual style and physical stats, such as stamina, strength, flexibility, agility and, of course, level of experience and technicalities that your body would be able to do perfectly without a touch of beginner's luck." I explained monotoniously, in my best matter-of-fact tone. "Don't sell me so short, Shortie." I grinned, noticing that indeed I was good five centimeters taller. Yuri growled, about to retaliate something back but then, to my surprise, he decided against it. Was it possible that my logic managed to put a lid over his clearly way too short temper? Nah. Not likely.

Instead Yuri grasped safety wall with both hands and leaned back, taking in an exasperated gulp of air and I had to hold in a snicker at his drama queen antics. Yuri looked like he just mentally groaned for being surrounded by idiots. However, all these assumptions were pushed aside the moment he leaned forward, shouting all the way across the ice rink.

"You look like you're doing great, Viktor!"

The man in question stopped skating and turned at our direction. But what surprised me the most was that he didn't seem to be even the least startled. I suppose, years of having this loud and obnoxious teenager as his rinkmate had prepared the older skater for literally anything.

"Yuri, you're here? I'm surprised Yakov let you come. What do you want?" Based on Yuri's mortified expression, Viktor's jovious greeting was not the right thing to say. And the older skater noticed. "Judging from that look, I'm guessing I forgot some promise I made."

I took in Viktor's laid-back posture, his carefree smile and one finger, raised in a very cheerful manner. Even though I made a mental decision to stay out of things, seeing as they had nothing to do with me, words 'some promise' made me scowl in disdain. Even though I was yet to hear a full story, to me it sounded important and Viktor's dismissive attitude rubbed something inside of me the wrong way.

I mulled things over, ignoring everyone around me. And it was probably a good decision because I didn't miss anything. Viktor finished his little skating session and stepped off the ice, putting on blade guards and warm black winter jacket.

"Sorry, sorry." I watched as Viktor scratched the back of his head sheepishly, laughing. "I totally forgot. But you know I was the forgetful type, right?"

My attention shifted to a teen, trying to gauge his reaction to such light-hearted response, and I was not disappointed. Yuri stood with his head down, shaking with anger. I was more than sure that his hands, even though kept in pockets of his jacket, were balled into fists.

"Yeah, I'm painfully aware of that." Came his voice out of the hood in a bitter growl before he lifted his head abruptly. "But a promise is a promise! You'll choreograph my new program, Viktor!"

I watched as he outstretched his left arm in front of Yuuri, as if to stop him, and furrowed my brow in thought. That little gesture seemed to be possessive, yet strangely protective too.

"Let's go back to Russia!"

Five simple words were enough to elicit a soft grasp from Yuuri and my head immediately snapped in his direction. Chocolade brown eyes widened before moving to look at Viktor, a shadow of fear crossing his innocent features.

Viktor himself hadn't been spared by a weight of Yuri's demanding words. That much was obvious from his shock-still stance and mouth, hanging slightly ajar in surprise. But his mind worked in the same intensity as mine because soon he cupped his chin with his fingers and looked down, deep in thought.

"Okay, I've decided!" A cheerful exterior and new fire of determination in blue eyes made me hold my breath in anticipation. That sudden announcement earned him full attention from both Yuris. "Tomorrow, I' a program for both of you to the same music I'm using in my short program."

Okay, so, our minds worked in two completely different directions.

These news shocked a man and a teen in front of Viktor because they wasted no time in showing their displeasure.

"What?! With the same choreography?!" exclaimed Yuuri, pointing his finger at a teen beside him.

"Huh? The same music as him?!" Shouted Yuri, mimicking his namesake's gesture. But Viktor only shrugged, unfazed by reactions his decision caused.

"No, this piece has several different arrangements. I was trying to decide which one to use. I'll think of a different program for each of you, of course." Viktor raised one finger dramatically and I had to resist the urge to slow clap. "I'll reveal the programs in one week! You'll compete to see who can surprise the audience more!" He lowered his finger to point at two newly announced opponents for Viktor's attention.

"Whoa! Let's take a step back here." Yuri frantically shakes his head, blue with mortification. "I don't want to be punished for losing..."

"Viktor will do whatever the winner says!" Yuri stepped forward with a creepy grin on his face, having none of his namesake's objections. "If those are the terms, I'm in!"

Now that clearly was the answer Viktor was looking for, because a wide smile spread across his lips, icy blue eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Great! I love that kind of thing!"

Sure you do, Viktor. Sure you do.

I pinched a bridge of my nose, a bad feeling setting in a pit of my stomach and getting stronger and stronger with every word that transpired between the three skaters.

A movement behind Viktor caught my eye and a headache between my temples intensified at least tenfold. Oh, come on!

"Wait just a minute!" A wild trio of six year old girls appeared and I groaned as soon as I noticed an expressions on their faces.

"Will you let us organize the event?" The middle one, Lutz, pitched an idea and I already knew where things were going. "A face-off between Yuri of Russia and Yuuri of Japan! Let's throw-"

I caught my breath as she purposedly let the tension to build up, not anticipating to hear the end of sentence at all.

"-a huge party!"

I buried my face in my palms, already picturing the entire thing.

And that's how preparations for Hasetsu Exhibition "Hot Springs on Ice", presented by Viktor Nikiforov himself, started.

* * *

 **See? This is were I should have ended Chapter 9. But alas...**

 **I don't know. I'll try to write and see if I can cover the rest of Episode 2 with only one chapter or if I'll have to split it in two. I have written down a few chapters in advance but they are all around Episodes 6-8 and I just want to scream. Because in my head I'm already finishing this season, but in here I had only started it.**

 **If everything goes according to my plan, I should be able to post next chapter this weekend.**

 **Oh, before I forgot! Can you believe that this story got over 5.5k views? Because I'm having a problem to comprehend it! Thank you all, you guys are amazing!**

 **Do I even need to remind you about leaving a review at this point?**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Winter Holiday left me without energy. What about you?**

 **This chapter is a bit late, but I wanted to deliver a longer one than usual and that takes time.**

 **Boy, Yuri might end up following Viktor's footsteps and turning grey before he gets back to Russia with Sophia around. I think that skating legend is not the only one who will have to deal with a thinning hairline as the story progresses.**

 **But don't worry. I love Yuri's hair way too much to do something drastic. Plus, Sophia's personality had more than just one side. And Yuri will have to learn it.**

 **But, yeah, since he'll be staying in Yu-topia until 'Hot Springs on Ice' there will be plenty of opportunities to include cute and meaningfull moments between the two!**

 **Disclaimer: I only own mah girl, Sophia.**

* * *

 _"One week from now, the "Hot Springs on Ice" show will premiere at Ice Castle Hasetsu. Please come to the event."_

I sighed, cleaning a table with wet piece of cloth. A breaking news, even though announced in Japanese didn't take too long to break the Internet and press media. Even though unable to speak the language I could understand it immediately - and to no surprise, since that was all I heard all the day, every day.

A loud voice reached my ears as I washed a cloth in a sink before wringing water out of it and hanging it to dry.

"I guess they're back." I glanced at Toshiya, who was busy chopping vegetables for dinner, as if asking permission and he nodded with a reassuring smile.

"Go ahead, dear. You might need to check a new guest in or take an order."

After sending older man a grateful look I dried off my hands and took of an apron. Leaving it on a hanger in the corner of the kitchen, I decided to find the guys simply following noise that was undoubtfully being emitted by a young obnoxious blond skater.

Shouts were getting clearer and clearer as I walked down the hall into a room which had doors open.

"Welcome back." I greeted everyone present like a well-mannered lady my parents raised me to be and took in the sight in front of me. I saw Viktor sitting on a white sofa with sleeping Makkachin in his lap so naturally, that's where I headed first. Yuuri stood not that far away and Yuri was busy looking around, taking his new surroundings in.

"Talk about a hovel." I heard heard him say as I sat down on an armrest of a sofa where Viktor was lazily stroking poodle's furry head, a calm and content smile on his face. But this little comment made my own head snap towards Yuri, my eyes narrowed and lips curled up in a smirk, though what I really wanted to do at that moment was snarl.

"You can always sleep on the streets, you know. There's plenty of room there and conveniently, nights are quite warm too." I wasn't sure what had rubbed me off the wrong way. Usually, I'm quiet and polite with people I barely know, shy even. But this guy...

This guy wasn't oblivious to my snarky words or my mocking, sarcastic tone because he whipped around sharply, trying to pin me to a wall with nothing but a glare, cold and chilling like Siberian winter. That futile attempt to indimidate me alone was enough for mirth to bubble in my chest. You have a long way to go, boy.

"Shut up, hag! No one asked you!" Yuri growled angrily, but I only laughed.

"'Hag' again? Getting a bit repetitive here, huh? You'll have to be a bit more creative with your insults if you want to even stand a chance against me." I put on my best lopsided grin and saw him gritting his teeth in frustration.

"I don't have a time to deal with some maid of a run-down hovel!"

I smiled acidly, knowing, that one day he'll choke on his words. "Why not? This is not a five star hotel, you're right, but outside, you would get unique opportunity to experience the joys of staying in a trillions' stars hotel!" I shugged my shoulders lightly, trying to sound chipper and upbeat.

The best part was that I could actually sense all the emotions, swirling inside of that room. Viktor's amusement, rolling off of him in waves, strong enough to rival my own. Yuuri's panicked alarm signals to drop everything and abort mission, because apparently he got freaked out by my suicidal tendencies to casually wander around on a minefield. Shortie's fury, prickling at my skin like needless, because my strange craving to get a load of inner satisfaction while angering others and marveling at their reactions made itself known and easily got the better of me. But surprisingly enough, I found myself not giving a damn about a noose that, based on a malicious aura Yuri gave off, hung loosely above my head, casting down a long shadow on my future.

However, I kept on smiling like everything was perfectly fine and a short teen with even shorter temper didn't look at me as if planning how to run me over with a bus.

"Looks like we found someone who is not afraid to unsheath her claws in front of you, Yuri." Viktor spoke up sudenly, wearing a smile I couldn't quite place and a look I failed to understand fully.

"Tsk!" Was the only answer he was graced with and I knew that though a storm may had blown over for now, but many more clouds are to come. "Where's my room?"

"You're staying here?!" Yuuri jumped in something between shock and fright and I snickered. _How forgetfull of you, Yuuri! I'm sure we already established his staying arrangements!_

"If you get Viktor to yourself all the time, it won't be a fair match! I'll stay here, too! All right?" His quick and somewhat urgent response made me whistle.

"You sure you're after forgotten promise and not runaway lover?" I asked with a narrowed eyes, half joking and half serious. " 'Cause that's how it sounds to me."

Yuri looked at me increadulously, revolted by an idea itself. "What?! Me and this old geezer? **(AN. Look, I know it's supposed to be 'old geezer and I' but I'm writing it this way on purpose so don't be a Grammar Nazi.)** Are you out of your mind?"

"Hey, I'm open to any possibilities. There are a lot of couples with over fifteen years age gap nowadays, so my question shouldn't even be surprising." I shrugged nonchalantly before pointing out. "Plus, I wanna make sure, just in case, so I could save my friend from a possible heartbreak if needed."

"Huh?" Yuri raised one eyebrow, confused and not quite grasping my implications.

"Forget about it." I waved my hand dismissively before turning to a matters at hand. "You wanna rent a room, right? I don't think there will be any problems with that. What do you say, Yuuri?"

"It's not like he cares what I think." Pulled into a conversation, Yuuri only shrugged his shoulders with a pleasant smile. What's up with everyone shrugging today?

"The hot spring is great." Viktor threw in his two cents but that seemed to tick angsty teenager even more.

"I can't take a bath with other people!" He shouted and I rolled my eyes.

"There are private springs too. Geez, you're such a diva!"

Yuri scowled at me and grabbed a doorknob, half way exiting a room. "I'm going to sleep!"

A door got slammed with a bang and all the tension seemed to be getting out, chasing after teen. I rubbed my temples gently, enjoying silence but even that wasn't destined to last because a loud rumbling noise filled a space and I looked up, confused.

"Was that a...thunder?"

Doors opened up in a swift and furious motion. A blond head, covered with a black hood peaked in and I knew that silence was too good to be true.

"Give me food! And a bath!"

"How about you start using an indoors voice and I'll take care of that?" I glared at green-eyed trouble personified and stood up, eager to get it done with. Before he could say anything, I made my way towards him and motioned to step aside. "That's what I was sent here for, anyway."

Surprisingly enough, Yuri chose to keep his mouth shut (a very appreciated change, if you'd ask me) and wordlessly agreed to collaborate, just this once. If I had to say, getting all the way here and looking around for Viktor must have taken it's toll on him. Now that Yuri followed me to reception room were I checked him in and showed were he could bathe privately, I could see fatigue and exhaustion creeping up his face. After mandatory question 'Do you need something else?' he only shook his head and I took that as a cue to leave him be, figuring that he'll be able to get around on his own.

Instead, I walked slowly to the kitchen and saw Toshiya finishing his preparations for dinner. I put on my apron and leaned against counter, watching as a man skilfully moved moved around, waiting for any command or order.

"Oh, you're already back!" Toshiya greeted me with a smile, and I nodded, answering with one of my own. "Should I prepare an extra portion for our new guest?"

"Yes, he's taking a bath right now, but will definitely want to eat afterwards." I said casually, thinking about how Hiroko wasn't the only one with supernatural intuition when it came to their guests. Her husband had a strong sixth sense too.

"Well, your work for today is over so you can go and clean up or rest before dinner too." He took out a bowl for an extra-sized pork cutlet and a fond smile made it's way on my lips. Yuri will experience his first time eating inn's signature dish and I could already envision his reaction.

"You sure you won't need my help with anything?" I checked, just to be sure and he laughed good-naturately.

"I'm sure, I'm sure. Now shoo!"

* * *

I pulled my hair out of bun and searched in a drawer for hairbrush. I got so caught up in reading manga, I swore to stop and get ready for dinner as soon as I'll finish chapter. Needless to say, a chapter soon turned into a volume, another one following closely behind. Time evaded me and I it. Right now I was digging around in my belongings hastily, feeling frustration grow with every passing second. Funny thing I noticed about time - it has ability to smell fear and just about any other negative emotion that torments human's soul. It makes time grow up legs and run faster, proving existence's inevitable and so comically ironical dependence on Murphy's Law.

Did I mention that all inanimate objects I needed at a times and fast loved playing hide-and-seek with me?

Luckily, some unknown cosmic forces took pity on me because soon enough I spotted my hairbrush and after letting out a little victorious 'Aha!' tried to tame a wild waterfall of light brown hair that, in my eyes, screamed for an urgent appointment to a hairdresser.

Pulling them back in a high ponytail, I looked myself up and down before glancing at a mirror. My reflection stared at me as I passed down a judgment on myself, deeming my appearance to be worth about 6/10.

"Will do." I breathed out and hurried to a ground floor which buzzed with talks and living.

"Sorry for being late!" I plopped myself down on a mat with a thin pillow by a table where I usually dinned with guys.

"No problem." Yuuri smiled at me reassuringly and I let out a sigh of relief. I was natural punctual and tried to avoid being late as much as possible but alas. The universe hates me.

"We're still waiting for food so you didn't miss anything." Viktor glanced at me shortly before turning at a TV screen that hung on a wall. I nodded and focused my attention on a newcomer, who occupied a side of a table.

Yuri sat there, wearing inn's robes and looking grumpy and bored out of his mind. He paid no attention to me so I took that as a chance to analyze or, well... check him out, whichever I thought fitting or simply wanted to do.

It was my first time seeing him without a hood on and now I got a good view at his face. Hm... Well... Okay. To be honest, Yuri reminded me a bit of a porcelain doll, which creeped me out because I hate them. It was hard to determine Yuri's age, but based on a soft, almost feminine features he was yet to hit puberty so... 14-16 years old seemed like the best guess. Fair skin set envy on a rampage inside of me. I had a fair complexion too, but my skin was never perfectly clear and I wasn't talking only about zits and beauty marks. Keeping in mind what a clumsy troublemaker I was as a child, my face and body in general got adorned and, in some places, even mauled by scars. But this teen in front of me? Nothing. Not even a scratch. I suppose, that's what creeped me out the most. Yuri looked so perfectly preserved, like he grew up under a dome of glass, untouched by this world. It was...unnatural.

What I noticed next were his eyes. A beautiful and, if I dared to say, even mesmerising light sea green, a viridescent colour that sparkled and glinted like a well polished gem. And not even a greatly disintrested look they held was strong enough to save me from.a powerful pull I felt as I stared **(AN. Drooled, more like. Hehe~)**. Since one of them had been covered by a fringe of long blond hair, I moved my gaze down, taking in other features. High cheekbones, straight nose, delicate line of jaw and strong, characteristic chin. Pink, slightly pouty lips...

I heard about Russian women being naturally beautiful, but seriously, Russian men were just as much of an eye candy too! Viktor's physical perfection allowed me to have my doubts. After all, exceptions exist. It happens. But now Yuri? Seriously, although he looked fairly young, my inner teenager/schoolgirl squealed with delight about being in a presence of such an attractive and even hot guy.

 _'Whoa, girl, calm yourself. I know you were a bit late to mature, plus, the upcoming period probably got your hormones running wild, but seriously. But a leash on yourself and a short one, too.'_

I shook my head, to get rid of all unnecessary thoughts and let out a breath in relief when I saw Hiroko, making her way over to us, a wooden tray with our food in her hands. Finally, something reasonable to help me take my mind off of Yuri.

"Our special dish - pork cutlet bowl!" I silently watched as Hiroko introduced her new guest with inn's signature dish with a smile, my own dinner holding very little interest to me. To be honest, I was too distracted and famished to care; not that I needed. A month I spent here taught me to trust Hiroko and Toshiya when it came to food.

And I wasn't the only one starving. Yuri, too, grabbed his chopsticks and dug in without another thought. His ability to eat at such high speed with chopsticks was impressive, but what really caught my eye was his table manners, or rather, the lack of it.

"Slow down, will ya? No one's going to take food from you." I leaned closer to Viktor, trying to avoid being accidentally nailed in a head withan elbow. "Seriously, you may think of Yuuri as a pig because of his weight, but it"s you who's eating as one."

"I don't know, Sophie." Smirked Viktor, not bothered by teens eating habits. He was probably used to it already. "Pigs tend to chew."

"Good point." I nodded after a moment before digging in my own plate.

"This is great!" Yuri exclaimed between bites, too busy stuffing his stomach to hear a little roast fest we just had.

"The pork cutlet bowl is good, isn't it?" Yuuri smiled, satisfied with teen finding at least one positive thing about this place. **(AN. Originally it was Viktor's line, but I decided to give it to Yuuri. Okay, I'll stop bothering you now.)**

A door behind Yuri slid open to reveal Mari. I looked up at her and nodded in greeting.

"You have another visitor, Yuuri?"

"Huh?" But it was Yuri who turned around to see a person that dared to interrupt.

Mari screamed like an obsessed fangirl and, I swear, I could see hearts in her eyes.

"No way! He looks just like my idol, The Blond Takao!"

"Who?" I looked around, confused, expecting to hear an explanation just as Hiroko, who faithfully stood by the table, brought one hand to her mouth and whispered to her hyperventilating daughter.

"His name is also Yuri."

"What? That's confusing." Mari whispered back before pointing at a blond boy, who stared at them dumbfounded. "Okay, you're Yurio!"

"What?!" A mixture of shock, anger and displeasure on his face made me choke on a bite. What a priceless expression!

But Mari was oblivious to a fuming blond in front of her because she turned at me.

"I saw that you already checked him in but where will Yurio stay?"

"Well, the only available place for him to sleep is upstairs. That. or a cold and hard floor."

"The storage room?" After receiving an affirmative nod from me Mari grabbed her head in distress. "Oh no! I need to clean it up!" She was about to leave when suddenly stopped mid-way. "Sophia, Yuuri, come help."

I sighed reluctantly before standing up. Well, at least I was done eating.

I turned to follow after Mari but stopped as soon as I realised, I didn't hear another set of feet, following me. Glancing over my shoulder I saw Yuuri, rooted to a spot and looking at two Russians we left in a room. The expression on his face was hard to read but it bothered me. A laugh that I recognised as Viktor's reached out ears and Yuuri's eyes widened. I wasn't sure why, but I could feel my heart clench painfully.I was about to reach out to him, but Mari came out, a heavy box in her hands, looking for us. As if on cue Yuuri turned around and ran out without saying a word.

"Yuuri? Where are you going?" Mari called out after him, but it fell on deaf ears.

"I think it would be best to leave him alone right now." I said quietly before looking up at Mari. I tried to ignore all questions that shone in her eyes. "Let's go. We have some cleaning to do."

* * *

"I think that takes care of it." Mari took in results of our work and gave a satisfied nod. Then she glanced at me. "How about you go down and check on them? I have a few more things to do before calling it a day."

"Sure." I replied passively and made my way out. That's just how our relationship and my work ethic was. Simple, short orders and responses. Blank and monotonious but that didn't mean we were on a bad terms, no. But we were both people of a very few words and preferred actions over chit chat.

As I walked down the stairs, my mind flashed to Yuuri and the way he looked at his new coach interacting with our new guest. That unexplainable expression that crossed his soft, babyish features when he heard Viktor laugh so freely, in such natural, carefree way.

 _'Oh, Yuuri. Why does it bother me so much? Why do I feel like it's going to be important and in a very near future too?"_

I entered the dinning room and stopped abruptly, smirking at a sight.

"Feeling bored or just full?" I looked down at Viktor, who laid flat on his stomach, and Yuri, who was pretty much napping with his head on a table.

"Both." Viktor sighed a little bit before looking up, his eyes immediately searching for something. _Or someone._ "Huh? Where's Yuuri?"

"Out." I kneeled in front of table and started to pick up empty dishes, mentally scolding myself for not taking a wooden tray with me. "He looked like he had a lot in his mind. And if there's something I learned about Yuuri during my time here, was that at a time like this, he'd be at Minako's place or Ice Castle." I stood up, trying to balance all plates and bowls in my hands. "I suppose you want to go and find him?"

No response came out; it wasn't needed. A soft sigh escaped my lips and I carefully made my way towards kitchen. Somehow, I managed to do that without breaking anything. Shards may represent good luck in Lithuania, but here it was most likely to mean that my arms were growing out of my butt.

I left dirty dishes in Toshiya's trustworthy hands before returning back to dinning room. Just as I expected, there was no sign of Viktor but he wasn't the reason why I returned in the first place. It was a blond teenage guy, who didn't even budge from his slumber in the same peaceful position I left him after my little chat with Viktor.

I made my way towards Yuri, slowly and cautiously, as if he was a sleeping lion that could bite my arm off if woken up suddenly.

"Yuri?" I called out carefully and kneeled by his side but no response came out. "Yuri?" I tried again, stubbornly refusing to call him by a nickname Mari came up with. It's not like there was a need since Yuuri wasn't around.

Still nothing. Realizing just how futile my pathetic and half-hearted attempts were, I placed one hand on boy's shoulder before gently shaking him up.

"Yuri, wake up."

He let out a grunt and opened his eyes groggily. A disorientated and sleepy look was so cute I had to fight down a squeal that threatened to burst through my lips. Instead, I gave Yuri soft smile and whistered.

"Get up, Munchkin. I'll show you were you will be staying."

Yuri stared at me for a moment before dropping his gaze on my hand that was still resting on his shoulder. I pulled my hand to my chest hastily, realizing my mistake.

"Sorry."

Instead of answering, Yuri stood up slowly and looked at me expectantly. I got up and walked out of room, boy following closely behind. We both kept silent and I felt glad that it was a short walk to a storage room that Mari miraculously transformed into a bedroom. Silence, lingering between us wasn't exactly uncomfortable but I still felt weird for some reason.

Finally, after reaching our destination, I motioned to a thin door before sliding it aside and gesturing for Yuri to step inside. Wordlessly, he complied but before closing the door, turned to look at me.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight." I answered back automatically and without much thought but then it hit me. My eyes widened in surprise just before the door slid shut, leaving me to stare at nothing, my mind blank.

But then a wide smile spread across my face and I felt warmth spreading in my chest. It's increadible what kind of effect a little kindness had on me.

"Have a sweet dreams.

* * *

 **Woohoo! One chapter left and I'll finish Episode 2!**

 **I understand how my previous statement sounds and I want to ask you something. Are you okay with me making things so slow? Maybe I should pick up speed because you're bored to death?**

 **Please, let me know if you're getting impatient with this story!**

 **And don't forget to leave a review. I always appreciate it.**

 **See you in the next chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Heya!**

 **I managed to dig my way out of a pile of school assignments and all mock exams I was forced to take every two days. Senior year is a pain~**

 **Finally finishing Episode 2! Gosh, I'm as fast as a snail, but I took into consideration your opinion, compared it to mine and made a decision to keep this pace.**

 **Sophia won't be talking much in this chapter but that doesn't mean she won't exchange a few words with Yuri. Plus, the things I'm going to mention in this chapter will be vitally important later on in the story, although it might look completely random and out of place now.**

 **I suppose, it's a lot like how original story unfolded. And that's how I always preferred it to write.**

 **Also, AN IMPORTANT NOTICE BELOW! PLEASE, READ IT!**

 **Well, that's about it for now. Onto the new chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I still have my soul in place so that means that I only own Sophia and that little original content there is.**

* * *

"So, today is the day, right?" I leaned against the wall casually and crossed my arms over my chest. "Viktor will finally reveal your new routines."

"Yes." Yuuri replied curtly while tying up his skates. Then, he stood up and pulled up a zipper of his sports jacket. A look of burning determination in his brown eyes brought a smile on my face.

"Feeling nervous?"

"Why are you here?" This time it was Yuri who answered me. My smile faltered for a moment, before returning to it's previous bright state, albeit a bit forced. Pushing all self-doubt away before it could plague my mind any longer, I redirected my attention on blondie.

"Am I getting in the way?" A calm and casual note in my voice took by surprise us both and I wondered for a moment what was that about. Usually I would have ignored all unkind words that would be thrown at me and Yuri's comment wasn't even that snide!

"W-What?"

"Would you like me to leave?"

"D-Do whatever you want." He muttered, confused and shocked by my almost pleasant smile and way of dealing with his bullshit, before standing up quickly and stroding towards an ice rink, where I knew Viktor was already waiting.

 _'Was he... okay with me being here?'_

Strange, but that little thought alone was powerful enough to put a lid on my constantly reasurfing insecurities. I knew that Yuuri was far too kind to say to me directly if he found my lapdog-like presence annoying and Viktor simply didn't know me enough to see it fitting to push me away from their little bubble (where atmosphere was getting more and more intimate with each passing hour, how was that even possible?). But if that angsty and short-tempered teen, who also happened to be honest to a fault, wasn't against me shadowing their more or less every movement without any real reason behind it, then that meant I wasn't a bother, right? And maybe - just maybe - I dared myself to entertain the notion that I was actually needed in one way or another?

"-ia? Sophia!" An urgent call interrupted my giddy and perhaps slightly desperate conclusions I was so eager to draw, bringing me back to less promising reality, speaking from experience so.

"Huh?" I saw a pair of concerned brown eyes staring at me and forced a corners of my lips to lift up reassuringly. "Sorry. I spaced out."

However, my smile wavered and though it lasted only about one heartbeat, it was still enough for Yuuri to notice a slight change in my demeanor, no matter how miniscule it was. ' _Damn you and your surprisingly well honed observation skills.'_ I sent him a pleading look, begging to drop the subject, and practically collapsed from relief when he complied.

A cool air was the first thing that greeted my pale skin the moment I entered an ice rink and I made a beeline towards safety wall to lean on, my eyes instantly locking itself on two people in front of me. Viktor and Yuri were already standing on a smooth surface of ice not that far away from where I made myself comfortable. Viktor quickly caught a sight of me and nodded in acknowledgement. I greeted him with a small smile in return and watched as Yuuri, who trailed closely behind me, took off his blade guards before joining his fellow skaters.

"First, let's have you two listen to the music." Viktor started off loudly without beating around the bush and pressed a button on a remote control, pointed towards stereo.

Immediately, soft feminine voice filled the room and I felt a shiver run down my spine at how eerie and hauntingly beautiful it was. It took my mind a few moments to register lyrics being sung in Latin but two years I had spent in school learning that dead language was not enough for me to understand their meaning. A melody itself and a mood it created felt sacred, as if purified with holy water. It got me thinking about all the books and movies I ever read and saw about angelic beings and Heavenly Choir.

Before I knew it the music stopped, leaving behind nothing more but an echoeing silence and slight static.

"This piece comes in two arrangements, each with a different theme.'On Love: Eros and Agape.' Have you ever thought about love?" Viktor's voice soon got pushed aside by my inner mythology geek squealing in delight. I knew exactly what Viktor was talking about and the piece I just heard was definitely Agape.

But a question that followed skater's little explanation snapped me out of my little fangirling moment and I focused on two men in front of him, suddenly intrigued by what sort of answers they were going to give.

However, my excitement was short-lived and died down the moment Yuri's flat "Nope." reached my ears whilst Yuuri's only response was a single shake of his head. As if to oppose my disappointment, Viktor seemed completely unfazed by their lukewarm reaction to such seemingly private question. Then it hit me, that maybe he knew the answers all along and asked it simply because it was obligatory to do so, since the theme of all this ordeal seemed to be love.

"What about you, Sophia?" Viktor turned to look at me and I jumped slightly, surprised that he even remembered my ever-lingering presence.

"Yes." I answered him shortly, my expression darkening with sadness and sorrow as an image of tousled dark brown hair and dark, almost black eyes flashed in my mind. Unrequited love.

"All right then. Tell me, what do you feel when you listen to this music?" Viktor focused his attention back on two skaters in front of him and I let out a breath of relief. As much as I hate being left behind, I despised being in a spotlight just as much, the only exception being, of course, dancing.

"It's very clear and innocent, like someone who doesn't know what love it yet." Yuuri answered evenly with his pointer finger raised and eyes closed and I had to hold in a giggle at how scholar-like he sounded. And I wasn't the only one, because Yuri too stared at an older man for a moment before adding his own comment on the music.

"I don't like this piece. This innocence crap makes me wanna barf." He stuck out his tongue in disgust and I frowned at how immature his outlook was. As a fellow artist he should know better than to stick to one theme.

"Okay." Once again I was taken aback by how unsurprised Viktor sounded. Clearly, that man was more observant than I gave him credit for.

But I wasn't given any more time to ponder about how well-versed Viktor was in human psychology because he pressed another button on remote control and a clear sound of what seemed to be Spanish guitars filled the room.

"It's like a completely different song." Commented Yuuri after lifting his head up and I silently agreed.

Indeed, this piece held seduction and temptation. An input of violins added more refined grace and elegance but the emotion behind that arrangement stayed as sinful lust. Indulging in physical pleasures and losing yourself along the way. My inner dancer started to subconsciously compare what I was hearing with tango and paso doble, where intimacy between partners blurred the line of decency.

"Viktor!" Loud and demanding for attention call from blond teen brought my attention back to a matters at hand. "I want to skate to this one!"

I snickered as I saw Yuri throw one arm aside in a needlessly dramatic fashion and glare at his sworn rival as if daring him to say otherwise.

Viktor didn't really felt like commenting on his fellow rinkmate's habit/hobby to see enemies where he shouldn't, opting to continue on explaining meanings and emotions behind music instead.

"The first piece is 'On Love: Agape'. The theme is unconditional love. And this piece is 'On Love: Eros.' The theme is sexual love." I saw Yuuri and Yuri nod their heads as Viktor announced each arrangement respectfully, both of them brimming with albeit different, but determination nonetheless. Now that little detail really got my brain working overtime. Y2 **(AN. Much like Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles are J2)** seemed to pick out what suits their individual tastes right away and just fine, but I remembered which criteria in Viktor's eyes was worth the most. And if my intuition was correct, both competitors had a big storm coming their way. But apparently Viktor wasn't done just yet. "I'll have you two skate to these opposing themes. This is how I'm assigning them."

His voice dropped dangeriously and I involuntarily took a deep breath of air, overwhelmed with anticipation.

"Yuuri, you'll skate to 'Eros'! Yurio, you'll skate to 'Agape'!"

Well, can't say I didn't see that one coming.

But that was only me, because-

"What?!" Yuuri grabbed his head, as if feeling a headache of millenia sneaking in.

"Switch them! That piece isn't me at all!" Shouted/hissed Yuri, land leaned towards Viktor threateningly.

I had no idea what came over me and forced me to open my mouth but I did.

"Come on, Yuri. Not that long time ago you told us you can surprise people more if you would get to skate to Viktor's program. Prove it. Step out of your comfort zone and show audience that you're more than an amateur wannabe. Prove your adaptability as a skater and change your repertoir for once."

I saw Yuri's eyes shifting over to where I stood, shock changing into something more murderous for a second. Something told me that he didn't like when people used his own words against him. Luckily, Viktor must have sensed where things were heading to, because he rushed to my defense.

"Sophia is right. You have to do the opposite of what people expect. How else will you surprise them? That's my motto." I nodded like a know-it-all and smirked smugly, mentally patting myself on a shoulder for guessing Viktor's motives correctly. But man in question himself wasn't done just yet. "Actually, you're both far more ordinary and mediocre than you think."

Ohhh, you better apply some Aloe Vera to that burn. It was going to deal some major damage to Yuuri's confidence (not that he had much of it to begin with) and Yuri's pride (maybe it was for the better; about time for a kid to get off his high horse and get a good taste of reality we, mere mortals, have to deal with too). And indeed, I was quick to notice, that Viktor's harsh words rendered both rivals speechless.

"You need to be more self-aware. I'm surprised you think you can choose your own image." Continued Viktor, either blissfully unaware or purposefully ignoring wide-eyed stares he received. Meanwhile, I was busy praying to gods above to give me enough strength and not burst out laughing like a rabid hyena because I was sadistic like that.

"From the audience's perspective, you're just a piglet and a kitten." Another arrow struck it's target and I watched with strange and sick satisfaction as Yuuri started to sweat bullets, too shocked to say or do anything else. "If you aren't up to my standarts by next week, I won't choreograph either of your programs. Both of you are my fans, so I'm sure you'll manage."

"Shots fired." I chuckled loudly enough for them to hear and Yuri threw a dirty look at me, which, in all honesty, took me by surprise. I was sure that Viktor's ruthless roasting had shocked little kitten out of his wits. But noooo. I suppose that young Russian skater deserved more credit because his sea foam coloured eyes blazed with enough rapidly mustered angry determination to earn a good amount of my respect. Not that he would appreciate it anyway.

"Fine. I'll skate to 'Agape'. My senior debut depends on it! You'd better give me a program that'll let me win!"

Ahh, the power of spite. Although I must say, arrogance had created quite a flaw in Munchkin's deception. A program cannot simply go out there and win, no matter how technically difficult it is. A program is nothing more but a program. It's performer who holds power to make a difference and whose effort and dirty (because blood, sweat and tears) work actually counts!

"It's up to you whether you win or not." Whoa, mind reading here. "But if I skated the program, I'd win for sure." Aaaand cue trademark confidence. Though, I suppose, Viktor was allowed to let his cockiness roam on a longer leash, given that as a sportsman of this calliber he had long years of experience and well honed skills under his belt. Over-confidence was one of a few things he earned fair and square.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the answer Yuri anticipated to hear because he gritted his teeth and kicked at the ice with enough anger-driven force to make little scraps fly everywhere as if in desperate attempt to escape blondie's wrath.

"If I win, Viktor, you're coming back to Russia. And you'll be my coach! That's what I want!" Fury distorted Yuri's doll-like features and I wondered whether or not randomly ditching your current coach and chasing someone all the way to Japan was a national sport in Russia.

"Sure." Cold Siberian winters must have prepared Viktor for everything because he was completely immune to a blizzard of teenage angst, childish tantrums, annoying attitude and overly dramatic antics Yuri was so fond of causing. Thank gods for Lithuanian climate or else I would have already smacked some sense into kid. Verbally, because I'm a pacifist. Not.

Seeing Yuri so confident in his fifty-fifty win made me remember another essencial element of this hastily thrown together ordeal, extra enough to out-drama any of given Kardashians. An element, that based on everything I've gathered so far, couldn't be taking things well. And he wasn't. Yuuri held his head low, trembling fists clenched tightly by his sides. Brunette seemed to be on a verge of bursting into tears and I couldn't help but feel my heart swell with the least right then needed emotion - pity. Clearly, he saw things from another angle and I knew Yuuri well enough to say, that there were more than one reasons to push his depressed self closer towards one nasty anxiety attack. A very bad premonition entered my being and I felt dread wash over me. Storm really was coming and along with it I saw a tsunami wave that was bound to wreck me.

"Yuuri, what about you? What would you like to do if you win?" Viktor's million dollars question rung in my ears and I could sense it with every fiber and cell in my body that Yuuri's answer will leave one heck of an impact on more than one life. **(AN: Telenovela Presenta.)**

"I want to eat pork cutlet bowls with you, Viktor."

A hand, supporting my weight on safety wall slipped. I managed to catch myself from a nasty fall but it resulted in a rather loud bang which brought all attention on me. Yuri looked at me as if asking whether or not I was retarded but I couldn't have cared less about him at that moment. No, all my attention had been held by skating legend and his loyal fanboy. I saw Viktor processing the meaning behind one simple sentence that got me so close to kissing wall. And when realization struck him, Viktor immediately turned to look at me, mind taking notice of my reaction and clear blue eyes searching for confirmation. Whatever he saw on my face made Viktor focus on a dark haired Japanese man who was close to tears, with lips pressed together in a thin line. I was sure that whatever madness took over my friend and forced him to spill his guts will soon abandon Yuuri, leaving him crushed or at least mildly embarrased.

Imagine a surprise on my face when Yuuri lifted his head high, brimming with new-found determination and pretty much screamed his agreement to participate in this ridiculous event on top of his lungs, nicely diverting attention from his sudden and unique but kinda awesome love confession.

"I want to keep on winning, and keep on eating pork cutlet bowls! So I'll skate to 'Eros'! I'll give it all the eros I've got!"

* * *

 **Aaaand finished! I'm sorry for my unexpected hiatus but things happened. Now I'm more or less back and that's what matters the most.**

 **IMPORTANT NOTICE!**

 **You'll have to wait for the next real chapter because the next update will be Valentine's Special. I received a review from one of my readers saying that I should place all my little specials under a new story and then notify of new update in Author's notes because it gets confusing with original story. To be honest, I like this idea. That's why I'm going to create new story called 'ToTI: Specials and One-Shots' and transfer all Special Chapters there. That's also where I'm going to upload the newest one.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Look who Halloween raised back from the dead.**

 **Disclaimer: I only own Sophia and that little twist she adds to the story.**

* * *

The atmosphere in a rink felt a little chillier than usual and I couldn't help but wonder why. Is it because of an outburst of raw emotion that Yuuri let out for the first time since I came here? Is it because he answered Yuri's challenge with an equal amount of determination? Or maybe it is because of a sudden shift in a mood surrounding this contest?

A gut feeling and a little voice in the back of my head reminded me of one infamous Internet meme, and, dare I say, I found it very appropriate. Because when Yuuri screamed out his declaration of putting all the eros he can muster into this one performance - that was the moment Yuri knew - things are about to get serious. His victory might be harder to achieve than he previously suspected.

Of course, like any supportive friend, I couldn't be happier about shy Japanese skater's more confident side, but the reasons behind it left me conflicted. While I whole-heartedly approved of Yuuri breaking out of his shell, I don't really like that he's doing so for Viktor. Don't get me wrong - the Russian skating legend might have given a push that Yuuri so desperately needed, but a need for change must come from within that person. Otherwise, a damage dealt to one's personality might be too much in case things go awry.

Again, I had to stop myself from overthinking. _You don't know how things are going to happen. There's no need to be so dramatic._ Really, what right did I have to meddle with Yuuri's love life? I may call myself his friend now, but sooner or later I will have to leave and then I will be nothing more but a guest/worker who entertained herself with daydreams about having friends among top-class ice skaters.

That single thought brought me back to reality and left a bitter taste in my mouth. While I am having the time of my life, I won't be staying in Japan forever. September is fast approaching and while I'm happy that I finished my school years in Lithuania, it would still be nice to get higher education. Sure, a fact that I have absolutely no idea about what I want to do with my life pretty much downpours on my parade every day, but it's like they say. Every dark cloud has its silver lining.

I'm still searching for mine.

Anyway, where was I? Oh, yeah. My gloomy, depressed mind completely tuned out everything that was happening around me. Luckily, I returned back to reality just in time, because I saw Viktor on ice, about to demonstrate one of two programs that he choreographed specifically for this event.

"First, Yurio's 'On Love: Agape'." Rung out his clear voice and I shifted in a more comfortable leaning position on a rink wall. This should be interesting.

Yuuri pressed on stereo remote control's button and already familiar eerie music filled the room. I watched surprised as Victor's body moved fluidly along with a hauntingly beautiful melody. The intricacy of his movements and well refined grace made me feel slightly envious. I thought Viktor was nearing his thirties. And he's still in such a good shape?

Though I suppose, I shouldn't really be surprised, since skating was something he constantly did, without stopping for long periods of time.

And while the technical part of program had been executed impeccably, I couldn't help but find a little flaw in the emotional performance that he chose to put up to accompany choreography. Something about Viktor's portrayal of unconditional love seemed to be off. A could feel a sacral vibe going off of him in waves, which fit general Agape theme well enough but clashed terribly with Viktor's personality. There was a much easier way to express pure love, so why did he choose that one?

These and similar thoughts swirled inside my head until the music stopped and skater's chipper voice grabbed my attention.

"Kind of like that. What do you think?" Viktor directed this question to Yuri while I took in his sassy stance, mainly, one hand on a hip.

"Yeah, I pretty much got it." Came a very flat deadpan answer. Yuuri, who stood nearby, gasped slightly and looked at a teen with his eyes wide. Clearly, this wasn't the answer he expected to hear.

"Huh?!"

I was about to comment on Viktor's little demonstration but a clapping from somewhere near the entrance stopped me.

"Wow… That was amazing."

I saw Yuko standing there and staring at the skating legend with sparkling eyes and mouth slightly open. Not that I can blame her. Live performances are always more impressive, no matter what sport or activity we're talking about. And yes, I am speaking from experience.

While I wasn't surprised about young woman observing skaters, I mean, she does work in an ice rink and all, not everyone shared the sentiment.

"Hey, who's that chick?" Yuri's brash words reached my ears and I sighed. _Rude._

"Oh, she's one of the staff here, Yuko-san." Explained Yuuri with a pleasant smile while gesturing to a woman in question.

"Sorry for interrupting your practice. It was so wonderful. I couldn't help myself." I could tell that this apology was purely out of politeness. I spent enough time around Yuko to know, that she would have done it again in a heartbeat.

However, her wide and full of amazement eyes struck young blonde because Yuri gaped slightly.

"Okay, Yuri. You're next. Let's go!" Before any of us could say anything else, Viktor's overly enthusiastic voice reached our ears, his attention now fully on Japanese skater.

"O-Okay!" Called young man back while fixing his glasses, prepared to observe the next program. Someone turned on the music and Viktor began skating.

You'd think that the sexual melody would serve as a warning about what sort of performance it requires, but apparently I was the only one who had so much sense. The moment Viktor turned to look at us at the beginning of his demonstration and sent a flirtatious smirk our way, Yuko fell down, blood gushing out of her nose. I knew the telltale signs of hardcore fangirling so I wasn't that concerned, but the same cannot be said about blond teen because he immediately dropped to his knees with a panicked look on his face. Yuuri, on the other hand, didn't even move a muscle but based on his facial expression I suddenly found myself afraid to even think about what was running through his mind.'

But even that was short lived, because soon enough admiration turned into pure panic and Yuuri grabbed his head, looking scared out of his mind. I could see him almost hyperventilating and was about to step in when Viktor's clear voice cut through the air.

"Yuuri! How was that?"

"Oh, um… It was very 'eros'!" A loud snort came from yours truly as Yuuri gave his response. Poor boy's speechless state caused a bubble of mirth to erupt in my chest but Viktor was either completely oblivious or chose to ignore that on purpose.

"Right? So, about the program composition. Which quads can you land?"

As the two of them went to technicalities, I turned my attention to the other party in hopes to strike a friendly conversation, if not with Yuri (wishful thinking at it's finest right there, people) then at least with Yuko, who always seemed overjoyed about having another female friend who did not prefer to spend her free time with a shot of sake (though Minako is totally cool, I wish I had a sister like that).

"So how's life been treating you so far?" I let the question hang in the air, open for anyone willing to answer and surprise surprise, it was Fairy of Angst who graced me with his response.

"I have to beat Japanese Pig while skating to some crappy music about _unconditional love._ " He grimaced in disgust, eyes still trained on his opponent and fellow rinkmate. Or ex-rinkmate. Details details.

"Worried?"

That got his attention.

"Seriously? Of course not. I just hope that he'll at least make it interesting and put up a fight." Yuri scoffed and looked at me incredulously but my mind was already going one hundred miles per hour trying to decipher his words. That's why I almost missed the second part of his response. "Not that it would change anything."

Feeling confident, I see. That's good. But the 'put up a fight' struck me, no idea why. Any self-respecting sportsman likes a good challenge because it means that they are taken seriously. Yuri certainly seemed that way. But for some unknown reason I couldn't help myself but mull that little bit over and over again.

I got so far into my own thoughts, I completely zoned out on what was going on around me. I caught a very smug smirk directed at the two who were still going on about Eros program with my peripheral vision, but it was short-lived, frown taking it's place immediately and it made me snap out of my little wonderland.

The Universe has a very cruel sense of humor. That, or one hell of a timing. Or maybe that's just me. But it certainly takes some sick pleasure by catching me off guard. And for the record, when I said it's time for me to return to reality, I obviously didn't mean _this._ A piece of reality I was trying to ignore.

"You have the skill to win. Why can't you make it happen?" It was easy to hear Viktor's words because he wasn't really trying to be quiet and the rink was very conveniently about as filled with noise as a graveyard.

"Well, that's probably because… I lack confidence." Came Yuuri's response as a boy lowered his head, choosing to avoid an intense pair of icy blue eyed, directed straight at him.

Thanks to that, Yuuri failed to notice Viktor skating closer to him, very close. Next thing I know, Viktor reaches out and lifts brunet's chin up, smoothly shortening the distance even more.

"Right. My job is to make you feel confident in yourself." While the words were on point, a thumb brushing trembling lower lip was, however, not. I could see Viktor saying something else, but my mind chose that moment to go blank. When did _that_ happened?!

Now, I'm not blind, thank you very much. And I'm not stupid either. So please tell me one thing. When did the two of them get so intimate with each other? Granted, the comfort in close contact was without a doubt one-sided and originated on Viktor's part. I mean, there's no way Yuuri could be so completely a-okay with all that emotional foreplay Viktor seemed so fond of initiating. Not that long time ago Yuuri could barely _breathe_ around his idol and celebrity crush and now this?

 _Boy, that escalated quickly._

And surprisingly enough, I wasn't the only one thinking that. These or similar thoughts probably crossed Yuri's mind too because I saw him taking a deep breath and instinctively covered my ears.

"Hey, Viktor! Aren't you teaching me first?!"

As the couple separated and gave me a glimpse at a blushing mess that once was a skater known as Katsuki Yuuri, I turned at Yuri and said something that I've never thought I'd say.

"Thank you for cock blocking Viktor."

Sure, a little part of me screamed ' _Just fuck already and send me pictures',_ but that part was quickly shushed as Yuri gave me a weirded out and slightly disturbed look, soon accompanied by a curt nod.

"Right." Viktor called back, completely unfazed, which immediately sent my over-analytical mind into frenzy. Was that an everyday occurrence or did I miss something? At this point it could be either. "So, Yuuri. Think long and hard about what eros is to you." He finished as if that's what they were discussing before being rudely interrupted. No sexual tension at all.

I took the last look at Yuuri's baffled face and took a seat on the front row.

* * *

 _'There's something oddly relaxing about the sound of skates hitting and cutting the ice'_ I thought as my eyes trailed after Yuri's lithe figure, gracefully moving along with soft music. I knew the program by heart at this point and I could see that the teen did too, but I found it difficult to turn my eyes away.

(My inner dancer immediately converted Agape program into a dance routine and was now urging me to make the good of Minako's generous offer to use her study any time I want. I could feel little metal key burning through my jeans pocket which did not help my resolve.)

But I had to resist. For my own good I had to kill my inner dancer before she could kill me. And this almost effortless grace, this beauty and feeling of having such power over our own body – it was leaving a bitter taste in my mouth. And yet I could not find it in myself to avert my eyes. Sharp nails of longing clawed my chest until it was difficult to breathe but I allowed these professional skaters to torment me. I felt so incredibly envious of spotlight that still shines above their heads, making my own shadows seem darker and longer in comparison. Shadows that I willingly pulled myself into. On my own _volition_.

 _'No,'_ A little voice whispered treacherously. _'You never wanted for things to end this way. Life forced you to take a step back and let others take your place.'_

I wished I could just agree with that part of me and leave things at that. Maybe it would have hurt less. Or maybe I was simply fooling myself. But time had passed and it did nothing to soothe my aching heart. I could feel desire to feel the heat of spotlights on me. A wave of adrenalin coursing through my veins, the kind of adrenalin I got every time on the dancefloor. My body giving into an elaborate rhythm of music and moving fluidly across the room.

 _'And,_ I mused to myself after remembering what kind of event exactly marks tomorrow, _'I wish I could feel that reliable hold on my body that **he** used to have one more time.'_

The day I have left hospital after hearing my final verdict was the day that ruined more than just my dancing career, social life and self-confidence. It also served as the beginning of my new but not necessary better life. It also happened to set off a chain reaction that made its results known years after my retirement. Personally I took it as a sign that any and all my pathetic attempts at making a comeback will not be accepted. Some higher forces were against me and I was too emotionally weak and compromised to question it. I regret my choice every day, but that's the kind of regret that I'll be taking with me to my grave.

Guys have decided that getting familiar with elements of their new programs is more than enough for the first day and wrapped the practice up. I felt relief destroying a lump in my throat and smiled a bit cynically. _Like a dying animal, I was put out of my misery_. And yet I knew without a doubt that I will attend every single practice as a spectator no matter how much torment it causes me. I suppose I'm spineless that way.

Yuuri decided to stay behind with Takeshi to do some extra stretching and mull over what eros means to him. As his self-appointed shadow I had a little debate with myself and made a split second decision to pretend to be an independent individual and go my own merry way. I couldn't care less about Yuri or even Viktor – I was too busy mentally self-destructing. After giving a half-hearted wave and quiet goodbye, I slipped passed others outside.

Cool evening air greeted me the moment I closed the doors behind me like an old friend and I felt compelled to let one small and broken smile to grace my lips. Sometimes these depressing feelings and thoughts from years ago would catch up and make themselves known. I could usually sense them coming and prepare beforehand by distracting myself in one way or another. But there were also days when they reared their heads without any warning and the consequences were always the same. Me, left behind in an emotional train wreck, desperately trying to gather scattered bits and pieces of my dysfunctional heart. The one I must protect at the cost of my dreams and the one I keep tearing apart with my own bare hands.

I don't remember returning to the inn. I don't remember making my way to my rented bedroom without anyone noticing. And I don't remember changing out of my clothes into more comfortable pyjamas. However, what I do remember is spending hours awake and then crying myself to sleep over all the things I lost to my own foolishness.

* * *

 **I don't even know, guys. A lot of stuff happened in my life since the last time I updated. I'm not sure how many of you are interested but I'm going to tell you anyway.**

 **First things first, I finally graduated from high school. Immediately after that I had to take various State Exams, which took an entire month. But even before that I was busy filling out all forms and documents necessary for applying to universities. Trust me when I say how much of a pain collecting all signatures for identity confirmation in a town with barely over two thousand population where no one speaks English and is afraid to involve themselves in such matters. And I'm speaking about authorities.**

 **With a touch of luck I got accepted in a few promising universities, but since all of them happened to be abroad, I had to move out of Lithuania. Currently I am living in Leicester, United Kingdom. Unfortunately, my family had to stay so I'm on my own, trying to learn how to adult.**

 **Anyway, now that my moving in process is over, I'll be updating this story again and hopefully more frequently.**

 **I'm really sorry for a long wait. But I'll try to do my best to write longer chapters to make up for it.**

 **Please, leave a review! I adore every single one of you and I can't believe that there are people out there who still reads this story. I heard Otayuri is real popular these days.**

 **Have a good day and see you next time!**


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